Emily Wilder was fired by the Associated Press just weeks after being hired as a news associate. Photo / Twitter
Emily Wilder was fired by the Associated Press just weeks after being hired as a news associate. Photo / Twitter
A reporter says she has been made a "scapegoat" after being fired by one of the world's largest news organisations for social media posts they alleged showed "clear bias".
Emily Wilder was hired by the Associated Press on May 3 as a news associate but by May 19 was terminated, with her employer citing a violation of its social media policy.
The AP's social media policy states that "employees must refrain from declaring their views on contentious public issues in any public forum and must not take part in organised action in support of causes or movements".
In a statement posted to Twitter, Wilder claimed AP had bowed to pressure after the Stanford College Republicans launched a "smear campaign" against her.
Wilder graduated from Standford in 2020 and said her "history of activism for Palestinian human rights" while a student there was well known.
"I was transparent with my editors, and they reassured me I would not face punishment for my previous activism," she wrote on Twitter.
The Stanford College Republicans shared a post Wilder had made on Facebook while a university student in which she described late US billionaire and Israel supporter Sheldon Adelson as a "naked mole rat-looking billionaire".
Their post was picked up by conservative news outlets and commentators who criticised AP for hiring Wilder.
AP told the Washington Post Wilder had been terminated for violating the social media policy while employed by the news organisation but did not specify which post was in violation.
The Stanford College Republicans had shared Facebook posts Wilder made while a student there. Photo / Twitter
Last Sunday Wilder had tweeted: "'Objectivity' feels fickle when the basic terms we use to report news implicitly stake a claim.
"Using 'Israel' but never 'Palestine,' or 'war' but not 'siege and occupation' are political choices — yet media make those exact choices all the time without being flagged as biased."
Wilder told the Washington Post she was told her firing was due to her showing "clear bias" on social media but now believes AP gave into the criticism.
"This was a result of the campaign against me," she said.
"To me, it feels like AP folded to the ridiculous demands and cheap bullying of organisations and individuals."
Wilder, who is Jewish, said on Twitter it had been "heartbreaking" to be "defamed as antisemitic and thrown under the bus in the process".
"I have to ask what kind of message this sends to young people who are hoping to channel righteous indignation or passion for justice into impressive, inspirational storytelling," Wilder wrote, adding that she "will not be intimidated into silence".
Other reporters have expressed support for Wilder, saying AP's decision was disappointing:
This is disgraceful and journalism organizations that exist to demand accountability and transparency of others must hold themselves to the same standards. https://t.co/bvXJfJT4h8
The fact that AP refused to defend her when the going got tough highlights exactly what folks have been saying all day: only the powerful survive. The rules only apply to the vulnerable.
This is cowardly. In a time of absolute turmoil, punishing a Jewish reporter for having a college experience that would only provide her with *more* context and *more* empathy is a reflection of everything wrong with this industry. Do better, @AP. I stand with @vv1lder ❤️ https://t.co/lgAI5OcpoB
