Arthur Sulzberger Jr. praised controversially canned Jill Abramson from a podium at the Pierre Monday night, but he was ribbed by some journalists for ducking questions at a dinner for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
At @RCFP dinner, where Arthur Sulzberger is being honored — here he is declining to say anything to @mlcalderone… pic.twitter.com/1y6nYz7jpu
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 19, 2014
CNN’s Brian Stelter posted a pic of Sulzberger allegedly waving away a reporter’s question about Abramson’s dismissal, tweeting, “At @RCFP dinner, where Arthur Sulzberger is being honored — here he is declining to say anything to [Huffington Post reporter Michael Calderone].”
Daily Caller blogger Betsy Rothstein wrote: “Good thing this thing was called the First Amendment Dinner and the publisher made himself so readily unavailable to the press.”
But Sulzberger commented to the crowd on Abramson: “She has been one of the most forceful voices in challenging the secrecy of the Obama White House and the initiation of criminal leak investigations. I will always admire Jill’s commitment to this issue and be grateful for her many contributions to the journalism of the New York Times.”
His first interview on the matter was posted the same night by Vanity Fair, in which he said of accusations Abramson was ditched because she demanded as much money as male peers, “There is no truth to the charge,” and, “I’m not going to let lies like this lie.”