Politico | Newsbusters
Yahoo News fired David Chalian, Dylan Byers reports. Chalian was Yahoo’s Washington bureau chief and was apparently the person who cracked a joke on a hot mic Monday, saying Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, were “happy to have a party with black people drowning” and not concerned about New Orleans residents who are being affected by Hurricane Isaac. Newsbusters first reported the blunder and has a video on its site.
Yahoo tweeted Chalian’s firing:
David Chalian’s statement was inappropriate and does not represent the views of Yahoo!.He has been terminated.
— Yahoo! News (@YahooNews) August 29, 2012
Chalian’s former colleague Gwen Ifill tweeted strong support for Chalian, calling him “God’s gift to political journalism.”
One mistake does not change this.
@davidchalian is God’s gift to political journalism.#IStandwithDavid— gwen ifill (@pbsgwen) August 29, 2012
Chalian was hired by Yahoo last November after working at PBS NewsHour and ABC News. At the time of his hire, he said he was looking forward to Yahoo’s ability to “deliver high impact, high quality storytelling in what is shaping up to be a really consequential presidential election.” Washington media-gossip site FishbowlDC said Yahoo threw a “swanky soiree” to mark Chalian’s hiring.
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