Washington Blade fails to acknowledge PHB's scoop of Solmonese resignation; updates w/correction

UPDATE (Sat., 2:41 PM ET): The Blade has updated its piece to reflect proper credit to PHB for breaking the story: Joe Solmonese, who has served for more than six years as president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group, will step down from his job when his current contract ends on March 30, 2012. The news of Solmonese's departure was first reported by Pam's House Blend. Thank you, Kevin Naff, for promptly addressing this matter. I encourage a clear and open discussion about how blogs and traditional media can have a two-way street of professional respect.






We've discussed the relative tension between the traditional LGBT press and blogs before. I tend to view our relationship as symbiotic and always link up to their publications when they have important stories worth covering in order to 1) spread the word on the blog to direct readers to the appropriate source, and 2) help boost traffic by using my large social media reach as well. You'd think there would be professional reciprocation, but sometimes you get such an egregious example of shoddy journalism by traditional media outlets that I have to say something. What kind of reporting is this? Joe Solmonese, who has served for more than six years as president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group, will step down from his job when his current contract ends on March 30, 2012, according to a source familiar with HRC. The source, who spoke on condition of not being identified, said HRC was expected to release a statement on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 27, announcing Solmonese's decision to leave the organization and plans by the HRC board to begin a search process for his successor. According to the source, reports by a number of bloggers that Solmonese's resignation was part of a sweeping staff shakeup initiated by the HRC board and that his departure came about under less than amicable circumstances are inaccurate. Pam's House Blend broke the story last night, August 26, about Joe Solmonese's departure from HRC. It was the only blog or news outlet to bring you this news first. The Washington Blade either 1) doesn't know how to count; or 2) doesn't know how to fact check; or 3) doesn't think a blog deserves credit for committing the sin of "journalism." And I'm not just referring to PHB; it also applies to my  colleagues in the LGBT blogosphere who step beyond commentary and do first-hand reporting. This sounds like a topic for discussion at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists' Association conference that is currently going on (hashtag #NLGJA2011). Barista Scott Wooledge is there live tweeting. Maybe the Blade doesn't want PHB promoting its work any longer - we can take the hint.

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