76ers beat writer fired after ripping teams Israel Tweet
Jackson Frank, a recent beat writer hire for the Philly Voice, a Philadelphia-based sports news site, is now out of a job after ripping the team’s pro-Isreal tweet while tweeting in “solidarity” with Palestine.
Frank then responded with a quote tweet that read “This post sucks, Solidarity with Palestine always.” This almost immediately was noticed by PhillyVoice CEO Hal Donnelly, who swiftly announced Franks’s termination while continuing to show his support for Israel.
“Mr. Frank is no longer employed by PhillyVoice.com as of today, We stand with everyone who is absolutely outraged by the senseless attacks in Israel, by the loss of innocent lives and violence against civilians,” Donnelly said, according to the New York post.
Jackson Frank had just joined PhillyVoice a little over a month ago, and now he’s out of the job even quicker than he got it. Frank also not only deleted the tweet but his entire Twitter account, signifying the amount of hate he likely was dealing with.
It’s really no surprise though. This is a very hot-button issue with strong opinions on both sides. Regardless of who you side with, you’re going to upset the other side. Frank seemingly did not understand that. He also seems to lack the ability to read the room.
You can totally disagree with the Sixers’ decision to support Palestine. You have the right to have your own opinion, but when you publicly call them out and say they suck, you’re just asking to be fired.
He was on the job for just over a month, he didn’t have the job security to come out and start drama on that level. I mean really I don’t know what he expected to happen. Sometimes with an issue like this, it’s best to just stay quiet, something that I think also applies to the Sixers in this case.
Was it harsh for the organization to immediately fire him? Maybe a little bit, but with an issue as serious as this you have to know to be careful. More so than that, as a sports writer/reporter, you really shouldn’t be giving insight on an issue as serious as this.
That’s why I’m not even trying to explain the current conflict going on. If you want more information, there are plenty of sites with much more qualified people talking about the topic. Of course, a lot will be political, but that’s on you to verify the information you read.
It’s an unfortunate situation for Jackson Frank, that much I do know. He’s an extremely talented analyst who clearly has a deep understanding of the sport of basketball. I’m sure it won’t take him long to find a job somewhere. Hell if he can keep the crazy politics in check, he might have a spot here.
Frank is known for putting his views out there for the world to see. Unfortunately in this case it led to him losing his job. But on a more serious note, my thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who has been affected by this tragic conflict. I’m sure by now Frank has learned his lesson, keep politics out of sports!! At least I can only hope he has.
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