A columnist from The Washington Post, who was recently let go after misrepresenting slain free speech advocate Charlie Kirk, is considering legal options. She claims to be a victim of censorship and discrimination.
Interestingly, a survey conducted by the Post indicates that Karen Attiah has a tendency to deflect blame for her subpar performance.
Attiah has been less than transparent about her debut book, which was shelved. Additionally, she has exaggerated her connection with the murdered Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who is the subject of her book.
When she was terminated, it seemed that Attiah was breaching her contract by consistently publishing her work on a rival site, Substack.
Earlier this year, Attiah claimed that her anticipated book, “Say Your Word, Leave,” which focuses on Khashoggi, was abruptly pulled by her publisher, HarperCollins, without explanation.
In a post, she expressed her frustration: “After nearly four years of writing, my (then) publisher suddenly halted the editing and forced me to withdraw the book. It was a heartbreaking experience.” She suggested that she had been advised to remain silent to protect the institution and herself, adding, “Those who strive for a decent life deserve better and shouldn’t fear being crushed by the wealthy and powerful.”
A source familiar with the situation denied her claims, stating that Attiah had struggled to produce a publishable manuscript for years, suggesting it was she who cancelled the agreement, not HarperCollins.
Since Khashoggi’s murder in 2018, Attiah has presented herself as a close editor and friend, asserting that she has “discovered” him multiple times.
Her narrative suggests that numerous powerful entities, from Columbia University to HarperCollins and the Post, have sought to silence her.
As a race columnist for the Post, Attiah touched on various topics, from anti-gay legislation in Ghana to the treatment of women in society.
A colleague of Khashoggi remarked that Attiah’s claims about discovering him are unfounded, emphasizing that Khashoggi was already well-known before joining the Post.
Attiah recently expressed her challenges at Columbia, stating, “I was cancelled not just by Columbia but also by the Washington Post.” She referred to the cancellation of a journalism course at Columbia, citing low registration as the reason.
In a controversial social media post, she reacted to Kirk’s assassination, claiming he “supported violence” and making other dubious assertions about his comments regarding women.
Attiah misquoted him, suggesting Kirk said, “Black women don’t have the mental capacity to be taken seriously.” In reality, Kirk had only commented on specific individuals, not making sweeping generalizations about all Black women.
Just before her dismissal, Attiah had begun sharing work on Substack, seemingly violating her Washington Post contract.
The Post cited her violation of its social media policy as a reason for her termination, declaring that her actions had compromised the organization’s integrity.
A review of the Post’s employee contract suggests that writers are prohibited from working with competitors, and Attiah’s independent Substack venture fell into this category.
When asked about her Substack work on a podcast, Attiah deflected the question, remarking on the role of such platforms in media today.
At this point, neither Attiah’s lawyer nor the Washington Post, nor HarperCollins, commented on her claims.
Attiah had previously criticized the Post following a tragic incident involving the deaths of Israeli civilians.
