To Protest Controversial Firing of Popular Columnist Robert Scheer
"I've been a punching bag for Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh for years and I think the paper finally collapsed" -- Robert Scheer, Friday, Nov. 11th
LOS ANGELES - November 14 -
WHAT:
Readers to Picket LA Times to Protest Firing of Columnist Robert Scheer and Limited Coverage of Local Anti-War Movement
WHO:
LA Times Readers and Grassroots Peace Activists from Across Los Angeles
WHEN:
Tuesday, Nov. 15, Noon
WHERE:
Outside LA Times Building First Street Entrance 202 W. 1st St. (at Spring St.) Los Angeles, CA 90012
After a week of Internet rumors, it was officially announced on Friday, Nov. 11 that LA Times publisher Jeff Johnson fired Robert Scheer, who had worked at Times for 30 years, the last 12 as a weekly columnist on the op-ed page. Scheer had a substantial following, and very often his columns would be on top of the paper's list of most e-mailed stories.
An announcement of the protest to grassroots activists reads in part:
''Robert Scheer's anti-war voice is critical. Los Angeles Times readers will not tolerate the Paper's op-ed page tilting further to the right with the firing of Scheer and the inclusion of far-right columnists Max Boot and Jonah Goldberg with no one holding Scheer's spot as a passionate and contrarian national progressive voice.''
<snip>
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1114-04.htm