To the Reader

I have enjoyed reading Style Weekly for many years, however, I am completely disgusted with Chris Dovi's firing.

The PR firm was completely out-of-line by putting a private e-mail into the public domain, just because they could use it as a springboard to get the "free advertising" that they so desperately desired and couldn't find elsewhere.

I think a public apology is appropriate, which Dovi immediately did, but firing a dedicated reporter is a mistake for the paper.

God only knows what would have happened to H.L. Mencken in the era of e-mail. He would have probably been fired a dozen times at least for stray sarcastic comments. (Let alone the intentional ones.)

From what I've read as an outside viewer on all of this, and as a veteran reporter it is obvious that the Goldman PR firm was angry they didn't get what they wanted out of Chris Dovi, who they harassed over four (4) weeks to cover Goldman's client.

The "political correctness" shallowness, and the obvious false "oh you hurt my feelings" stance from Goldman is quite easily observed as a tactic which only goes to show just how bad the PR firm is with the media - which is going to stay away from the firm because of what it did to Chris Dovi.

What reporter will want to cover anything that comes out of Goldman now?

As a reporter, I've dealt with many PR firms attempting to get free media coverage for their clients, and most didn't have a clue as to how to do it other than constantly pushing their clients onto well-known journalists to gain the coverage the PR firm should be doing itself.

This is also something odd since it shows that the Baby Boomers running Goldman still do not seem to know how to use the Internet to publicize their own client in Richmond?

In these times of high unemployment, both Goldman, and Style reacted badly and it is a reactionary reflex done with false feeling posing as trying to support disabled people. Most people see right through it.

For Style to fire Chris Dovi based on what was an in-house email to his own editor mistakenly sent out to Goldman is spurious, and wrong.

The editor-in-chief who caused this to get out of hand clearly is not in possession of all his own marbles, and did not stick up for his highly-respected journalist. I suspect that Roop is on his way out later this year himself as this surely will not inspire confidence in the other Style reporters.

For Goldman to use this silly incident to then try to get more "public relations" for their client by attacking Dovi is not only stupid, but gives other media and potential clients in the region every reason to stay far away from Goldman.

This is happening now I presume, and will continue into the future.

Not wise for a supposed "PR" firm, don't you think?

Junior is just whining (as usual). He's (still) mad because Dovi broke the story about Club Velvet being shut down because of drugs, sex and $250 bottles of champagne. Read the 57-page indictment linked on the Style site. Core values?!

Style won't publish Dovi now, but they continue to publish Junior's ignorant and mean-spirited editorial comments?

Style fires Dovi for using an expletive in what was supposed to be a private e-mail to an editor, yet they have the gall to splash one in a headline and let Roy A. West get away with using one (incorrectly) in the text one on the BackPage. Core values, ha!

GF: I prefer this Voltaire quote: "I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it."

Uncle Junior: Your comments were specious, off the subject, foolish, revealing more about you than it does to illuminate the discussion at hand, and as mean spirited as they may be. (and do you have an 8 track player and Lava lamp to go with the only Members Only jacket left that's not available at a Goodwill store?) I will say:

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it".
Voltaire

Perhaps you've heard of him? Maybe not, but "it still doesn't give you the right to write crappy stuff about others" .

Copperheads unite! The enemy has bared his pants, revealing a small target indeed equal to his intellect it appears.

Uncle Junior, you forgot to say "line 'em up."

You're slippin'.

Ahh poor crappy cry baby Dovi. Who cares if your own daddy can't see out of his right eye, it still doesn't give you the right to write crappy stuff about others. Just because everybody else in your office is doing it doesn't mean you should. Yo're a GD disgrace to the disgrace.

Take your members only jacket and go write for the paper in Petersburg. Bring back Velvet and Smoking in Restaurants and throw Dovi in the blog world. That's the whole things about Style. It's so southern. They serve you sweet tea with a smile while the copperhead sneaks up your pant leg. Crappy newsletter.

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Junior
http://www.unclejuniorsbananarodeo.blogspot.com

Len, you supported firing Dovi because he "offended" your friend then turned around and called him a cock roach? Where do you work, so we can request your firing for offending our friend?

Who cares? People who care about an injustice done to a good reporter and a disservice done to an community by a bad PR guy out for a buck and a bang, people who counted on Dovi's reporting of the disability rights community in Richmond metropolitan area, people who care about public education in the Richmond metropolitan area, people who want government held accountable, anyone who has a child or a family member with a disability (or might), people who appreciate intelligent and in-depth journalism, people who like to know what is happening in our community beyond what the keepers of the minimal column inches at the Richmond Times-Dispatch think we deserve to know about, people who take the time to look beyond the sensational and into the substantive issues in the news, people who think that what wags the dog is is as important as the dog.....We care. In other words: We, the People Care

I do not think that Dovi was being discriminatory at all. I am an advocate for people with disabilities so I know Chris's heart on discrimination of minority groups. What would have been discriminatory is to fail to acknowledge that someone is a jerk just because he has a disability. First of all, Dovi's remarks were directed toward the PR guy, not Weeks. It wasn't stated that the PR guy has a disability? But let's say the PR guy is also blind but is also a major harassing jerk. Does that mean that we cannot ever say anything disparaging against that person just because he has a disability? THAT is discrimination (reverse)!

I personally think there is more to Dovi's firing than meets the eye. I think something smells rotten in Denmark.

Who cares what this reporters record is, if he is wrong then he is wrong!! Seems like folks care more about "works" than what is right and wrong!!!

Style Weekly is not a real newspaper, and certainly doesn't support its own reporters. Shame on you.

Gee, Jerrid, I have no idea who you are or if you actually have a "team," but if I were a member of your "team," I would quit rather than serve a leader who feels inclined to pontificate about situations he clearly knows far too few details about in order to render an informed assessment. I also would have a problem following a leader who doesn't understand basic grammar and punctuation.

And, Len, Dovi is a dear friend of mine. He wasnt talking about your friend. He was talking about the PR piranha.

I have no idea who chris dovi is....but if he were part of my team, i would have fired him as well. NO member of my team under any circumstances would get a slap on the wrist for using language of this magnitude. Awesome job to the PR firm that busted him......oh and by the way, chris dovi's boss who he was forwarding the email to would have been investigated as well....i feel that chris was too comfortable sending that kind of garbage to a colleague especially within the company walls.

The person your reporter spoke so devious about is a very good personal frined of mine.. Thanks to Style Weekly for getting rid of such a cock roach !

Glad to see that your company has rid of someone that thinks they are above "The Common Good of the People". It's reports like that who cause alot of hate and other problems within our wonderful country.

Good Riddens!

It was cowardly to fire Chris. This letter implies Chris wrote something derogatory about the disabled when it is obvious he did not.
Style should do the right thing and not further malign Chris in this magazine.

It was cowardly to fire Chris. This letter implies Chris wrote something derogatory about the disabled when it is obvious he did not.
Style should do the right thing and not further malign Chris in this magazine.

I don't live in Richmond but am so glad to see the community rallying behind this reporter. I've read the e-mail he sent. I'm frustrated with the fact that he was fired. I think this is an example of PC at its worst.

Most gutless move I've heard of in a long time. Dovi was a great asset to Style.

I'm a journalist from California and had never ever heard of Style. But I'll remember it now, in a negative light. Good going, inept publisher/editor-in-chief.

No consideration was given to this reporter. What a bunch of boobs at Style. If this guy was talented enough to employ and this wasn't a repeated offense, someone should hold a two-hour meeting before cleaning up the management house.

So, will you be monitoring all employee e-mail from now on to ensure that every employee always "honors diversity" at all times?

You sack the guy because he got carried away while venting about some PR stiffs and used a bad wordin an internal email? Talk about overreacting! This incident makes Style look ridiculous.

I floated in here from Poynter.

Style really mishandled this - particularly if this is Chris' first offense. Whoever decided to fire him comes across as pandering to a supposed angry mob that doesn't even exist.

Chris should've been reprimanded and made to publicly apologize. And then it should've all died and gone away.

Instead, Style management looks spineless in the public sphere.

Glad someone brought up the "sit-in" ... could anyone explain why citizens are being asked to $250- to $300-per-plate for a luncheon at CenterStage to help defray costs [WHAT COSTS?!] they and the other protestors will be honored by name on two granite markers DONATED by Grappone and Sons.

Since Dovi is gone, might we hope to see some investigative analysis from Don Harrison on this? Don, for sure, knows the score here. Will he have the freedom to tell it like it is?

Fourth Estate Fan: Roll down your sleeves: My earlier comment about Chris (who is a friend) should be testimony to my regard for his compassion and skill.

Secondly, I can write about women but I will never, being male, truly experience things completely from a woman's viewpoint. I think we should hear more about life in Haiti, past present and future from Haitians. As good as folks who fly in for a few days coverage have been, then they're on to the Olympics or Tiger Woods. Someone who is 'on the scene' 24/7 for the long haul would provide better context.

So, too with Richmond. Who might have the better insight into the sit-in being remembered now, a thirty something reporter or somebody who sat on the stool?

Since I'm a comment neophyte (yesterday being my first outing) I'm not a front for anyone else, I can, do and will speak for myself-and my people, who should be represented in Style's pages and the T-D, Richmond Magazine etc.more than they are.

FanGal, dude. Thanks for offering your opinion.

FanGuy/Guy Fawkes. Cute. Whatever. Fourth's comments are still spot-on, dude.

Fourth, what are you talking about? Don't lump me together with Guy Fawkes. I have my own brand of negativity, thank you very much.

What a piece of work you are! Whether you call yourself Guy Fawkes or call yourself FanGuy, all you ever do is throw out negativity.

Style at least covers (or did) the school system and city government. Because Mayor Dwight Jones lives next-door to Ray Boone (the publisher of The Free Press) we have not seen any decent coverage of the school system or city government since he took power. The Voice, at least, tries. The Free Press has become the PR voice of city government and schools.

Do you realize how racist it is to think that only black people can write about black people? Or women about women? Should newspapers hire children to report about children? Diversity is more than a numbers game. It is an attitude. Dovi does not have a disability, but the guy has the BEST track record of any reporter in the city for consistent and fair coverage of the disability community. Nor is Dovi black, but, again, the guy's reportage speaks for itself and he is a representative of a new generation of reporter who sees people first, but who is also able to understand and report on the damaging socio-economic effects of racism in our schools and city government.

The issue here is NOT the number of blacks on staff. The issue is the quality of reportage and the dedication to covering the entire community, not just the part of it that happens to be in office or able to buy advertising. And, don't even get me started on the whole sordid history of race, Massive Resistance and Richmond Newspapers.

Diversity is a core value at Style? How many Blacks, Asians and Latinos are on staff? How many of them are writers? Or do you let the Free Press and the Voice handle that stuff?

"FanGuy... can't even sign his real name."

This episode is an object lesson why never to use your real name online.

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Downtown Richmond, VA

FedUp needs to WiseUp! Dovi is a gem, a guy who can write whimsical stories about the Black Dog and Skunks in the Alley as well as investigative reports on government and education. Dovi clearly understands that the job of a newspaperman is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

Oh please, Dovi is a hack ... always has been, always will be.

Too bad that Maurice Jones listened to a PR flack instead of to the staff at Style. I know that this decision has been highly emotional for everyone at Style and I agree with Bill Thompson that people should let Jones know what a terrible disservice he has done to our community.

Even if Jones refuses to admit that he made a heated decision and ignored the wisdom of the "Style" staff, I am sure Dovi will be fine. The guy has talent and heart, unlike most of the higher-ups at Landmark. I wish Waran and Roop had mentioned how many awards Dovi earned for Style and Landmark in his "firing" announcement. That would have been a classy touch.

Too bad Richmond has to lose such a talented reporter for such a stupid mistake. If Jones is really savvy, perhaps he will find the strength to admit that he made a hasty judgment and an unfair call. Dovi admitted his mistake. Can Jones do the same?

There must be something off in the water at Norfolk & Virginia Beach. Style Weekly authors have a cult-like following. Once Dovi is able to secure even contract work with Richmond Magazine or Media General, it could lead to the beginning of the decline of Style Weekly.

This decision came from the top and I think that Dovi's bosses at Style truly did not want to do this. Nonetheless, there are employees worth fighting for and he is one.

I would implore the people who feel passionate about this issue to direct their comments to the publisher of the Virginian-Pilot and let him know they made a terrible decision that hurts this community.

"telephone me at (757) 446-2056 or email at maurice.jones@pilotonline.com."

These people clearly don't know Chris or his valuable work and are wrongly judging him for an offhand remark/mistake cynically misrepresented by a PR company for its own gain.

This is heartbreaking. Chris Dovi is the best reporter in the Richmond area. Chris does the work of a true reporter, he digs deep to get the facts, and he tells the balanced truth. He is knowledgeable about the issues confronting those with disabilities, and he is willing to expose the plight of students with disabilities in area school systems like no other reporter is willing or able to do.

This is truly unfair. It is a shame that a private reprimand and a public apology could not have sufficed. I urge Mr. Roop to reconsider this hasty decision. If not, Style Weekly has lost the cream of its crop. I am sure there will be many, like me, who will have no reason to read Style Weekly hereafter.

It does seem shameful that this was handled so publicly, especially at a time when breaking news informs us that people with disabilities in Virginia will have truly difficult hurdles to jump and obstacles to overcome in the next few years.

Chris Dovi is one of the finest journalists in this towncertainly THE finest in the newest generation of journalists and Style Weekly has done their readers a grave disservice in firing him.

Shame on you, Landmark Communications. The man made an honest mistake a formal public apology would have been quite sufficient. To say Dovi failed to "honor diversity" after everything he has done for the disability community in this town makes my head spin.

With Dovi gone, I don't have any reason to pick up Style, and believe me, I won't. I hope leaving Style ends up being the best thing that ever happened to Dovi, and this deplorable public tar-and-feather charade only serves to open doors and create incredible opportunities for Dovi to do what he does best: HONOR his profession and the people and issues he so passionately and eloquently writes about.

Dear Style Weekly,

As you may already know, Goldman & Associates removed their story and the public's comments today. My question is, will you do the same with this blog post and all these comments disapproving your reaction to Dovi's e-mail?

In case you do it, please keep in mind that Goldman & Associates' attempt to shake the story off their hands was unsuccessful and readers were able to retrieve every bit of that page and re-post it. Here is what I mean:
http://www.goldmanandassociates.com/2010/02/reporters-obscene-e-mail-reveals-societys-prejudice-against-the-disabled/
http://grab.by/2wao
http://grab.by/2waK

Sincerely,
a member of Richmond's community

This is a tremendous loss to our entire community, but most especially the disabilities rights community in Richmond. At a time when the Richmond Times Dispatch couldn't be bothered to write about a federal lawsuit brought by frustrated parents on behalf of their children and by parents with disabilities, Chris Dovi took the time to care and to report about the challenges.

His coverage of the Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit, as well as other challenges children with disabilities confront in our public schools was excellent.

No other reporter in this area has understood as well as Dovi what the high-stakes really are if we don't figure out how to deliver a high quality public education to all our children and overcome the ugly racial undertow that continues to hold back our region socially and economically. At a time when public education is facing huge losses, the loss of Chris Dovi's voice at Style adds to the frustration parents and policy-makers alike feel.

I am sure that a talented guy like Chris will soon figure out a way to continue to be a force in our community.

There are so many things wrong with this, except for Dovi's comment.

Jason- It's blatantly obvious that this kind of behavior is ok, despite your "sacred core values" as long as it's behind closed doors. Why else would he feel comfortable sending you that email? Why would you only fire him after it goes public?

You are spineless. Isn't it about time that you move on too??

It seems the PR firm, once so proud of outing Dovi's email they posted it on their house blog, has now taken the entire post down.

http://www.goldmanandassociates.com/2010/02/reporters-obscene-e-mail-reveals-societys-prejudice-against-the-disabled/

I guess they realized their mistake. I hope Style Weekly can do the same.

Really, a simple apology should have covered this. You guys look very uncool in this.

Mr. Dovi has shown himself to be an insightful, thoughtful and able journalist. Moreover, in the absence of true digging into the workings of our city government by others, he has kept up abreast of the goings on.

His words were unfortunate, but who among us haven't been driven to distraction by what seems to be bad behavior?

Dovi will no doubt emerge from this episode, a chastened man but still a terrific reporter. I hope he doesn't fade from the local scene, Richmond needs him, now more than ever.

I am canceling my prescription Viva la Dovi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris Dovi's work is used by professors at VCU to model thorough research, balanced perspective, and empathetic voice. His firing is a shock and, in my opinion, out of proportion to his mistake.

Chris Dovi's work is used by professors at VCU to model thorough research, balanced perspective, and empathetic voice. His firing is a shock and, in my opinion, out of proportion to his mistake.

Chris Dovi has helped so many small businesses and causes that the "big" papers ignore. He is an excellent investigative reporter, and should never had been publicly scorned. Freedom of speech? Where has that gone? Politically correctness is so incorrect. Chris has done so much for our community, treaded where most people would be afraid. We need more Chris Dovi's in our country. I suppose all of you who chastise this incident have NEVER made a mistake.

What a great service Style has done for Media General's shameful excuse for a newspaper, the Richmond Times Dispatch. This is a personnel matter and it's a pity it take so little to motivate Style to fire a dedicated reporter. Of course, the times dispatch jumps on this 'nonstory'. Funny, I don't remember reading about the RTD employee who was nailed for visiting porn sites at public events on company equipment. Hey, Times Dispatch, how did you miss that one?? Seems a little bit more of an affront than a reporter's insensitive but understandable frustration with an overzealous PR firm flacking for their client. Chris will be missed, but the days of good journalism have long since vanished, so it's time he learned a real profession. Better to be a carpenter than corporation's shill.

Stay class, "Katherine Belle"!

FanGuy couldn't pour piss out of a boot w/the directions written on the heel. What makes you think he could have the intellect or integrity to write anything honest? He can't even sign his real name.

Juny, why in the hell would I want to write for Style?

Style can print obscenities in stories, but its reporters can't use them in e-mails? Sounds like a disconnect to me. Dovi is the best! Too bad you decided to let a PR flack cheat the city out of its best investigative reporter.

You could be writing there, FanGuy, if you weren't chicken.

What should happen:
Style should issue another formal apology, add that they will have a sensitivity training day and also put confidentiality notices on all emails to help prevent pariahs like this unscrupulous PR hack from vilifying people through slip-ups like this one.
Then do the right thing and hire Dovi back at a higher salary since he is one of the city's best reporters and has carried the weekly for years now and won it many awards.

People make mistakes, but good reporters are hard to find in this day and age, and Dovi should have been reprimanded but DEFENDED for his body of work and commitment to the "core values" of journalistic integrity.

Great job, Chris. Whatever happens, you will land upright and be better for it. I just hope I can still look forward to reading your stuff locally and you can still tackle the important stories.

Style stupidily threw away one of, if the not the best, writers they've ever had.

The way Style is managed is, and always has been, amateur hour.

Perhaps they can get more bartenders and bitter local politicos to write some more drivel to fill the pages left empty by the loss of Dovi.

It is counter productive to publicly humiliate someone who has already expressed regret over poorly chosen words. This is a missed opportunity to generate discussion about of the obstacles facing the disabled, instead it has become a public tar-and-feathering. If this is to show the community they are taking the moral high-ground, then Style has missed the mark.

Publicly sabotaging a man's career and personal reputation is deplorable. I am embarrassed for the publication, stay classy Style.

Style completely mishandled the situation. Just the other day, over coffee, a group of us named the good writers/reporters with Style and Chris Dovi was named of the two. Style is going down hill.