OPINION | Barry Richard: Standard-Times Justifies Sexual Discrimination
When you look in the Urban Dictionary: White Knight, you find the following definition.
1) A man who stands up for a women's right to be an absolute equal, but then steps up like a white knight to rescue her anytime that equality becomes a burden. 2) A man who promotes gender equality but practices special privilege for women.
Our "White Knight" of the day is Jack Spillane, Sunday and Investigative Editor for the New Bedford Standard-Times.
Jack used his column this week to gush over the recently held Women's March. Fair enough. But, in addressing a decision by rally organizer, Ward Four City Councilor Dana Rebeiro to bar male reporters from covering a pre-rally forum while allowing female and non-binary press to cover it, Ole' Jack seems to want to have it both ways.
Yes, it's true that in an effort to allow women a safe space where they could talk about the commonality of assaults on women, the event organizers had unwisely told male reporters to stay away from a closed door meeting at BCC.
Jack is correct but the decision was more than unwise. It was illegal and that should be stated loudly and clearly by the Standard-Time editorial staff.
When Jack was invited to appear on the program today to discuss his lackluster denouncement of sexual discrimination he declined.
In a text message, Jack simply responded;
"The event should have been open to all, but the fact thast the reporter's schedule didn't allow him to cover the events that were open isn't the event organizer's fault. I'm more interested in the good work done by the women's march than your focus."
So, ride off into the sunset, White Knight. Basil Brewer and Jim Ragsdale would have never permitted their reporters to be prevented from doing their jobs because of discrimination of any kind.
Talk about fake news.
Editor's Note: Barry Richard is the afternoon host on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from Noon-3 p.m. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.