Photojournalist Who Says He Was Banned From Protest Coverage Announces He’s Leaving Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette photojournalist who says he was banned from protest coverage announced he is leaving the newspaper.

Michael Santiago says that the newspaper no longer allowed him to cover protests after he openly supported his colleague Alexis Johnson.

Johnson says she was pulled from protest coverage because of a tweet.

Santiago tweeted that he opted to take a buyout that the Post-Gazette offered to staffers last month.

Update on my situation. Thank you #Pittsburgh ✊🏾✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/oRNxAUD9Uu

— Michael M. Santiago (@msantiagophotos) June 14, 2020

News Guild president Michael Fuoco said that he is sad to see Santiago leave, and criticized the decision by Post-Gazette management to pull Santiago, Johnson, and others from protest coverage.

“Pittsburgh is losing a tremendous talent in Mr. Santiago, a man who says he ‘thought’ he found a home in the Steel City,'” said Brian Cook, President of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation.

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• ‘National Embarrassment’: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Under Fire After 2 Black Journalists Say They Were Barred From Protest Coverage
• Newspaper Guild Condemns Post-Gazette, Claims ‘Unrelenting Mistreatment’ After Paper Offers Barred Black Journalist Assignment To Fly To Houston For George Floyd’s Funeral
• Post-Gazette Executive Editor Pens Open Letter, Claims ‘A Great Deal Of Disinformation’ Over Black Journalists Allegedly Pulled From Covering Protests
• ‘Unfit To Lead’: Newspaper Guild Calls For Resignation Of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Managers After Black Journalists Say They Were Pulled From Protest Coverage