If you want to see white privilege, particularly in the local media, you don’t have to look much further than Jeff Coltin, the staff reporter for City & State (C&S).
Coltin this week was hand fed the exclusive that Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was endorsing Monique Chandler-Waterman in the 45th City Council District Special election coming up on May 14.
Nothing against Coltin or C&S. Jeff is a fine and able reporter. The problem is I’ve never seen him pounding the pavement in East Flatbush or Flatbush let alone cover a story from there, save for an election victory party or two. And that’s not a knock on Coltin. C&S, like Politico, cover politics and government for insiders and from the marble halls down. Pounding the pavements is not his beat.
But when the time came to put out the story, it was given to Coltin.
Very reliable sources told KCP that the gift to Coltin came from Williams’ office, which makes sense. C&S has written more than a few favorable marble hall stories on Williams during his time in the council and in his run-up for public advocate.
Williams told KCP the leak didn’t come from him personally. If I had to venture a guess, it came from his communications director, William Gerlich, who is among the new breed of young white communications directors that serve as media gatekeepers to black electeds.
I would name more names here, but both friends and friendly political operatives have warned me multiple times against doing this. You’re burning unnecessary bridges, they say.
But as a publisher and journalist, my job is to call a spade a spade as I see it. And if that means sometimes burning bridges then, “Flame on!”
The leak was a real slap in the face to two very solid women reporters of color – Kelly Mena, the senior editor for KCP, and Kadia Goba, who got her start at KCP and now is an ace reporter for Bklyner. Both have continuously been in the district, written multiple stories on the race, the candidates and the issues involved in it.
Both are climbing their way up the media ranks, and God-speed to them as they ascend this ladder in their careers.
It’s very telling that when Williams, along with several other elected officials of color, officially endorsed Chandler-Waterman yesterday in East Flatbush, both Mena and Goba were there to cover it.
But Coltin didn’t show up and he didn’t have to. Not when you have white media privilege.
As for Williams and Gerlich, no harm no foul. But the next time you think of pulling a stunt like this, please consider the people of color out there doing reporting in the field. Save Coltin for the marble hall stories.
