Church fires photog over Scalia picture: Freelancer pays for ‘right thing’

The front page photo of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in yesterday’s Boston Herald.

This story has just taken a turn into The Twilight Zone. This is from The Boston Herald:

A freelance photographer has been fired by the Archdiocese of Boston'’s newspaper for releasing a picture of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia making a controversial gesture in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Sunday.

Peter Smith, who had freelanced for The Pilot newspaper for a decade, lost the job yesterday after the Herald ran his photo on its front page. Smith said he has no regrets about releasing it.

Smith wouldn'’t give up the photo earlier this week but chose to release it when he learned Scalia said his gesture had been incorrectly characterized by the Herald. Smith, who was standing in front of the judge, said the Herald "“got the story right."”

Scalia's famous gesture. (Herald exclusive photo by Peter A. Smith)

The simple fact of the matter here is that Scalia screwed up. He made an obscene gesture at the reporters who were asking questions to him. He got a little hot, and then said something he shouldn't have. Okay, that's understandable--we all make mistakes. At this point, it is not a big story. Yes, the press will probably print a small story in their papers, and there is plenty of liberal blogs that will make a big deal of it. If Scalia had simply admitted his mistake and apologized for his behavior, the whole thing would have blown over in two days. Even if he ignored it, it may have blown over, considering his past behavior with the press. And you know what? The picture would have never have been published.

But Scalia didn't admit his mistake. He didn't ignore it. He decided to fight it by sending a letter to the Herald, providing some long-winded explanation that his gesture was not obscene, and that the Herald's staff was watching too many episodes of the Sopranos. This was hubris coming out of Scalia's mouth. And it was this hubris that forced freelance photographer Peter Smith to publish that photo. We also learn that not only did Scalia make such a gesture, but that he also said a rather obscene Italian word as he was performing his gesture. That's not something you want to do Mr. Scalia.

Now for the Archdiocese of Boston'’s newspaper The Pilot, and the subsequent firing of Peter Smith. My first question would be, why did they fire him? From the Herald's story:

Smith wouldn'’t give up the photo earlier this week but chose to release it when he learned Scalia said his gesture had been incorrectly characterized by the Herald. Smith, who was standing in front of the judge, said the Herald "“got the story right."”

Smith said the Pilot had an obligation at that point "“to bring some clarity to it."

"“I felt that same obligation,"” Smith said. "“I had to say what I knew and come forward with it.."

The weekly Catholic newspaper made a "“journalistic decision"” not to run or release the photo, said Archdiocese spokesman Terry Donilon. "“Because he breached that trust with the editor, we will no longer engage his services as a freelance photographer,"” Donilon said.

"“It'’s nothing personal,"” added Pilot editor Antonio Enrique. "“I need to try and find people I can trust."”

While news outlets from across the country sought Smith'’s photo yesterday, the archdiocese said there'’s no proof that Scalia uttered an obsenity in the church. Smith said Scalia said, "“To my critics, I say, "‘'Vaffanculo,' "while making the gesture. That'’s Italian for (expletive) you.'"

Because he breached that trust with the editor? This is a complete cop-out by both the Archdiocese, and the Pilot! Smith was not willing to release the photo to the public. It was only until after Scalia sent his letter, practically accusing the Herald of making this story up, that Smith decided to release it. Scalia was lying in this case--lying to cover his ass on something so trivial and stupid. What is more amazing is that the Archdiocese, and the Pilot newspaper, are willing to side with Scalia here, and force Smith out for exposing the truth. The Pilot newspaper is willing to breach the public's trust, and their own journalistic integrity, in order to save their political standing with a Supreme Court Justice. And all this talk by the Pilot's editor Antonio Enrique of Smith breaching the trust with the editor is pure baloney. Smith didn't sell his photos of Scalia to the National Inquirer. He was willing to keep those photos private, even though every newspaper in the country was clamoring for them. He only released them after Scalia publicly lied about the incident. There was no breach of trust here. This is just an excuse by the Archdiocese, and the Pilot, for punishing Smith due to his exposing Scalia's lies.

Another though had just occurred to me. What if Scalia was also putting political pressure on both the Archdiocese, and The Pilot after discovering his mug shot plastered on the front page of the Herald? Who did Scalia talk to in the Church’s hierarchy, after Smith published his picture? This is just an off-the-wall conjecture here, considering Smith was immediately fired after the picture was published. I have no evidence or proof to back this conjecture up. It may be that Scalia didn't talk to anyone within the Catholic Church's leadership regarding this scandal. But it is an interesting thought.

I doubt that there is any loss to Peter Smith, since now he can take his pick on the freelance photo jobs, and perhaps get hired to any newspaper in the country. How much do you want to bet that The Boston Herald would snatch him up for future freelance work?