Church fires photog over Scalia pi cture: Freelancer pays for ‘right thing’

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Fri, 31 Mar 2006 11:48:37 -0800

[Zepps_News] Church fires photog over Scalia picture:

Freelancer pays for `right thing'

 

 

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=132932 & format=text

 

 

 

(Those neocons always have a lot of class, (always low). Always

responsible for their actions (not) and always honest (not). And as

always, The portrayed " bad guy " isn't the person doing something like this when

it is done by the rich or powerful, but the " bad guy " is the one who would

report on it. Just following that all american sense of justice - different

rules for different folks.)

 

 

 

 

Church fires photog over Scalia picture: Freelancer pays for `right

thing'

 

By Jessica Heslam

 

Friday, March 31, 2006 - Updated: 01:24 PM EST

 

 

A freelance photographer has been fired by the Archdiocese of Boston's

newspaper for releasing a picture of U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Antonin Scalia making a controversial gesture in the Cathedral of the

Holy Cross on Sunday.

 

 

Peter Smith, who had freelanced for The Pilot newspaper for a

decade, lost the job yesterday after the Herald ran his photo on its

front page. Smith said he has no regrets about releasing it.

 

" I did the right thing. I did the ethical thing, " said Smith, 51,

an assistant photojournalism professor at Boston University.

 

Smith snapped the photo of Scalia flicking his hand under his chin

after a Herald reporter asked the conservative jurist his response to

people who question his impartiality on matters of church and state.

 

Smith wouldn't give up the photo earlier this week but chose to

release it when he learned Scalia said his gesture had been

incorrectly characterized by the Herald.

 

Smith, who was standing in front of the judge, said the Herald " got

the story right. "

 

Smith said the Pilot had an obligation at that point " to bring some

clarity to it. "

 

" I felt that same obligation, " Smith said. " I had to say what I

knew and come forward with it.. "

 

The weekly Catholic newspaper made a " journalistic decision " not to

run or release the photo, said Archdiocese spokesman Terry Donilon.

 

" Because he breached that trust with the editor, we will no longer

engage his services as a freelance photographer, " Donilon said.

 

" It's nothing personal, " added Pilot editor Antonio Enrique. " I

need to try and find people I can trust. "

 

While news outlets from across the country sought Smith's photo

yesterday, the archdiocese said there's no proof that Scalia uttered

an obsenity in the church.

 

Smith said Scalia said, " To my critics, I say, `Vaffanculo,' " while

making the gesture. That's Italian for (expletive) fuck you.

 

" It was pretty clear, " Smith said yesterday. A Herald reporter who

was nearby did not hear that utterance.

 

 

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