Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says the metro reporter for NPR’s local affiliate can no longer attend the City Hall meetings she holds each Wednesday with the press. It was not a popular decision with WYPR or other reporters.
According to the Baltimore Sun, reporter P. Kenneth Burns was barred from the weekly meetings after an exchange at last week’s meeting about the police department. In a tweet, Rawlings-Blake alleged that Burns exhibited “threatening” behavior.
@WYPR881FM I support free press, but won’t tolerate aggression to me or my staff. Burns’ behavior has been threatening & I chose to act.
— Stephanie (SRB) (@MayorSRB) October 12, 2016
Rawlings-Blake said Burns can attend other press conferences around the city, but not the weekly on-the-record sessions held following the Board of Estimates meetings. She also said WYPR can send a reporter to the Wednesday sessions, just not Burns.
WBAL-TV’s Jayne Miller relayed a statement from WYPR’s News Director in which he said he is “dismayed by her action and angry that an elected official thinks she can choose who can cover her.” Other reporters told WYPR they didn’t see the intimidation, he said.
& suggesting that bc the press won’t admit to seeing it that it didn’t happen is awfully ironic 4 truth seekers.
— Stephanie (SRB) (@MayorSRB) October 12, 2016
Reporters also started spreading the hashtag #FreeKenny.
.@PKBNews is a professional, a good guy, not at all threatening. #FreeKenny
— Pamela Wood (@pwoodreporter) October 12, 2016
