Reporter Quits Over Story on Dukakis’ Health
A reporter for the Washington Times said today that he resigned from the newspaper in a dispute with his editors over their handling of a story on Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis’ health.
Gene Grabowski said he resigned Wednesday in a disagreement with editors who revised his original story appearing Aug. 4 to emphasize what Grabowski felt was a very remote possibility that Dukakis had visited a psychiatrist.
Grabowski said he had written a “straight story” about Dukakis’ medical records being released by Dukakis’ physician.
The article appeared under a headline reading “Dukakis Kin Hints at Sessions,” It quoted Dukakis’ sister-in-law Janet Peters as saying “it is possible” that Dukakis once consulted “on a friendly basis” with a family friend who was also a psychiatrist.
A final quote from Peters was, “It’s possible, but I doubt it.”
Grabowski said the story as he and co-writer Amy Bayer submitted it did not include any reference to Peters. The quotes from Peters were inserted by editors who asked to see the notes Grabowski took during his interview, he said.
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