A Central Coast newspaper came under fire to close out 2017 when it ran an article with a byline featuring an anti-gay slur.
On Dec. 25, the Santa Barbara News-Press published a story by staff writer Paul Gonzalez about last-minute Christmas shopping in the city. The digital version of the story on the paper’s website featured Gonzalez’s unaltered byline and position with the company.
The print copy of the Christmas issue, however, said something quite different—the writer’s name appears as “Paul Gayzalez,” with the title “News-Press Faggoat.”
Reactions from readers were swift, who took to social media to post images and several critical comments on the byline. A few even called for management to be fired.
The Pacific Pride Foundation, an LGBTQ advocacy and education organization based in Santa Barbara County, drafted a letter to the News-Press’ editorial team condemning the byline on Dec. 27.
“When that language is printed in an official and public space like a city newspaper, it chips away at our understanding of common decency,” the letter says. “No matter a person’s actual or perceived sexuality or gender identity, using such slurs to insult or harass constitutes bullying. All one bully needs is to see this type of tacit approval from another bully to continue—and sometimes increase—the behavior.”
The News-Press responded to the controversial piece on Dec. 27 in an editor’s note that said: “In Monday’s News-Press, one of our employees changed another employee’s byline to reflect an offensive slur. The News-Press has taken immediate and swift action with this employee; we do not tolerate any form of harassment in the workplace. We apologize to our readers.”
The paper did not name the employee responsible.
In its letter, the Pacific Pride Foundation acknowledged the editor’s note but added, “This level of outright homophobia must be addressed on a broader scale. The News-Press leadership might not condone this language, but the reality is that at least one person in the newsroom thought this was acceptable.”
Gonzalez told the LA Times in an email on Dec. 28 that the “person has offered me a personal apology which I have accepted.” He told the Times the employee no longer works at the paper and declined to comment further.
The San Francisco Gate had previously reported the person in question had been a union employee and had not yet been fired by the company.
“It was a very poor decision made by an employee who is no longer in a position to make that same mistake,” News Editor Donald Katich told the Gate. “The employee is represented by the Teamsters. There is a process we are obligated to follow when it comes to decisions or termination. The employee is no longer in the building.”
The News-Press did not respond to the Sun’s requests seeking comment.
This article appears in Jan 4-11, 2018.