SORRY’S NOT ENOUGH

Philadelphia Inquirer’s Top Editor Resigns After Ill-Advised ‘Buildings Matter, Too’ Headline

Dozens of Inquirer reporters walked out after top editor Stan Wischnowski penned the ill-advised headline.

Top editor Stan Wischnowski, a 20-year veteran of the Philadelphia Inquirer, has resigned. This came after a controversial “Buildings Matter, Too” headline placed on an article about the importance of protecting architecture during riots. The headline prompted a mass—though virtual— walkout by Inquirer journalists who are working remotely due to the pandemic, and an apology from the paper’s publisher. “The Philadelphia Inquirer published a headline in Tuesday’s edition that was deeply offensive. We should not have printed it,” the editors wrote. “We’re sorry, and regret that we did. We also know that an apology on its own is not sufficient.” The statement went on to say that the headline “suggested an equivalence between the loss of buildings and the lives of black Americans. That is unacceptable.” Wischnowski has so far not commented on his resignation.

UPDATE 6/9/2020: This item has been updated to reflect that Wischnowski himself did not write the controversial headline, and “Buildings Matter, Too” was not the sole cause for his resignation. We regret the error.