CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia journalist misplaced her job final month after she reported about alleged abuse of individuals with disabilities inside the state company that runs West Virginia’s foster care and psychiatric amenities.
Amelia Ferrell Knisely, a reporter at West Virginia Public Broadcasting, mentioned she was instructed to cease reporting on the Division of Well being and Human Sources after leaders of the embattled company “threatened to discredit” the publicly funded tv and radio community. She later realized her part-time place was being eradicated.
In an announcement, Knisely mentioned her information director instructed her the order got here from WVPB Government Director Butch Antolini, former communications director for Republican Gov. Jim Justice. Antolini has served as government director since 2021, when his predecessor was ousted after Justice overhauled the company’s governing board.
Justice has tried unsuccessfully to remove state funding for WVPB previously and was accused of appointing partisan operatives to the board. WVPB receives round $4 million a yr in state funding.
Antolini declined to remark, however different officers denied any effort to affect protection. West Virginia Academic Broadcasting Authority chairman William H. File III mentioned Antolini instructed the board “he was not coerced or pressured by anybody.”
File mentioned in an announcement that Knisely was by no means fired and stays on the WVPB payroll, although she mentioned her door key and e-mail have been deactivated.
Knisely’s departure comes throughout a tumultuous time for West Virginia media. Days earlier than she left WVPB, three reporters for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Gazette-Mail mentioned they have been fired after publicly criticizing an editorial decision by their firm president Doug Skaff, who’s minority chief within the state Home of Delegates. Skaff accredited and led a video interview with Don Blankenship, a coal firm government convicted of security violations related to one of many worst coal mining disasters in current U.S. historical past.
The departures depart a diminished capitol press corps to cowl the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 11.
Knisely’s tales detailed alleged mistreatment of individuals with disabilities beneath state care. The division cares for a number of the most weak residents in one of many poorest U.S. states.
After Knisely’s departure from WVPB was first reported by The Parkersburg News and Sentinel final week, each Republican Senate President Craig Blair and Democratic Get together Chair Mike Pushkin referred to as the circumstances round her departure “disturbing.”
Pushkin mentioned Knisely’s protection of “the obvious points at DHHR” was “detailed, in depth, and most significantly true.”
“There’s a really clear distinction between not liking what the media stories and actively working to silence them,” Blair wrote on Twitter Dec. 29.
Knisely was employed as a part-time reporter at WVPB in September. In November, she was copied on an e-mail from then-DHHR Secretary Invoice Crouch alleging inaccuracies in a narrative and asking for a “full retraction.”
That by no means occurred, however in early December, Knisely mentioned she was instructed by WVPB information director Eric Douglas that she might now not cowl DHHR due to threats by state officers to discredit WVPB.
Every week later, amid mounting criticism, Crouch introduced he was resigning.
Douglas confirmed to The Related Press that he was instructed to inform Knisely she would now not be reporting on DHHR, and that Antolini directed him to take action.
As for threats from DHHR officers about discrediting WVPB, he mentioned: “I’d fairly not touch upon that.”
On Dec. 15, Knisely filed a human assets criticism about interference together with her reporting.
Issues got here to a head later that very same day over Knisely’s press credentials for the 2023 legislative session, in accordance with emails obtained by the AP and first reported by The Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
Douglas initially knowledgeable legislative staffers that Knisely would “serve an important function” in WVPB’s 2023 legislative protection. However then the station’s chief working officer left him off an e-mail saying she wouldn’t want credentials in any case.
That troubled Senate spokesperson Jacque Bland, who emailed Douglas to ask about it.
“It feels sort of gross and shady to me that another person would dip in and say that one in all your reporters received’t have any assignments associated to the session,” she wrote.
She added: “I undoubtedly needed you to bear in mind that Butch and Friends have been making an attempt to stay their fingers within the pie.”
Responding the following day, Douglas mentioned he had been pulled into Antolini’s workplace and instructed “issues had modified with Amelia.” He mentioned he didn’t admire WVPB management going behind his again, “however for now it’s out of my fingers.”
“And also you’re proper, it does really feel gross and shady,” he wrote.
Knisely mentioned she was knowledgeable Dec. 20 that part-time positions have been being eradicated. Her e-mail and key card have been deactivated round that point.
This week, Knisely introduced on Twitter she was employed by the Beckley-based newspaper The Register-Herald to report on West Virginia’s upcoming legislative session. Her protection will embody developments with the state Division of Well being and Human Sources, she mentioned.
