Terry Frei of the Denver Post fired for tweet about Japanese Indy 500 winner

There was a "Mad Men" episode where Roger Sterling was portrayed as being out of touch because he was angry about the ad firm taking on Honda as a potential client.

The show took place in the late 1960s.

 

Yeah, I brought it up way earlier that he was on the buyout list and strongly considered it. I don't know what happened and how he got to stay on and not get laid off after not taking the buyout. I don't know if this was mutual, maybe it was he's no spring chicken either and might not want to deal with this stuff any more, but the Post certainly in some way is glad it has an easy way out of his salary. Don't think it's tough to say he is the most senior person on the sports staff. And despite that and some definite journalistic talents, what does he really do that someone way cheaper can't?

He covered CSU football well the past few years and he knows his way around hockey better than anyone in the area at this point, but it's Denver's third most important beat at best. He just didn't do anything that will make the average reader think it's a loss as much as the Post shuffled him around. I don't want to belittle a good and experienced journalist like that, but that's how it is. And the Post doesn't care, it got rid of a lot of experience in its last round of cuts. So while they surely don't like this attention, it in a way makes their lives easier getting rid of a senior position in this day and age, right?

 

I may be reading right over it, but I don't see anything in that Michael Roberts piece that hints at it being a mutual separation.

 

The part about Italy and Mario Andretti is silly.

 

I was thinking of that episode in light of this story. A pretty non-trivial consideration is that he (Sterling) actually fought in the Pacific theater in WWII.

 

This is so true.

Twitter can be good, quick, fast and far-reaching, but it's a double-edged sword. Fredrick made a good point when he brought up the fact that journalists are forced to use it (and other social media) as a forum, and, let's face it, there usually isn't much editing or regulation of it, unless and until it is post-problem.

Given that freedom and general lack of oversight, there are bound -- absolutely bound -- to be mistakes of judgment and regrettable posts made at times. And when you think about it, how/when are most journalists fired -- I mean really fired -- when it's for reasons other than layoff and workplace staffing reductions these days? It usually does occur after social-media gaffes. You're free to say and do as you like with your account, even required to do so, until you say something that could be embarrassing or in poor taste.

 

Seriously, how hard is it to string together 140 characters without making a racist asshole of yourself?

And spare me the whole "forced" to use Twitter thing. I'm forced to do a lot of shit for my job, and tweeting is about the least objectionable.

 

Exactly. Especially for someone who makes his/her living with WORDS, and is experienced enough to know that not every stupid thought that pops into your head is fit for public consumption.

 

I'm just surprised the guy made it this long before saying something derogatory about Japanese people. Sounds like something he'd easily say in mixed company. Definitely a fireable offense.

 

So much this.

I am expected to be active on Twitter and Facebook for my job. Somehow, I've managed to be appropriatge. I'm also expected to drive (without being an asshole and a danger on the roads), interact with other people (without telling racist and sexist jokes, and being profane and inappropriate), keep office hours when I'm supposed to keep my pants on, and have regular dinners out with co-workers and work contacts without getting shitfaced drunk.

Blaming this on being forced to be active on social media is a weak copout.

 

I can sort of see how you could think that tweet might fly on Memorial Day.

It's funny that people can be killing each other on wars one day and expected to get along the next.

Makes you think that maybe war is kind of stupid.