'UNPROFESSIONAL'

NY Times Fires Wirecutter Reporter Who Allegedly Left ‘Inappropriate’ Voicemail for Gun Group

The staffer was cut loose from Wirecutter after allegedly leaving the expletive-laden voicemail following a mass shooting earlier this month.

The New York Times on Friday announced it had fired the Wirecutter editor who allegedly called a pro-gun organization and left an “inappropriate” voicemail.

In early December, Erin Marquis, then an editor for the Times’ product review site, left the expletive-laden message for Great Lakes Gun Rights, a local Michigan gun group, after the deadly mass shooting at Oxford Michigan High School. “I am from The New York Times, and I’m letting everyone in The New York Times know what kind of f*cking a**holes you are. Congrats on being a laughing stock,” she reportedly said in the voicemail. Upon audio of the call being released online, the Times initially suspended Marquis, ultimately terminating her contract this week.

“The employee has been terminated from Wirecutter following our investigation related to inappropriate behavior. We expect our employees to behave in a way that is consistent with our values and commitment to the highest ethical standards,” New York Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha told The Daily Beast. “Repeatedly invoking The New York Times’s name in an unprofessional way that imperils the reputation of Wirecutter, The Times, and all of our journalists is a clear violation of our policies.”

Marquis has deleted their Twitter profile and could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for NewsGuild, which represents unionized staff at Wirecutter (as well as The Daily Beast) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.