Citizen-Times publisher, Franzi to meet today regarding reporter’s alleged ethics violation

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Asheville Tea Party organizer Erika Franzi was scheduled to meet with Asheville Citizen-Times Publisher Randy Hammer today to talk about Franzi’s allegation that Citizen-Times reporter Leslie Boyd had violated the newspaper’s ethics policy.

I have yet to receive an update. Meantime, Boyd, who told me last weekend that she planned to have an announcement this week, now says she won’t have an announcement until next week.

Franzi and a couple of local political bloggers reacted recently after MoveOn.org issued a press release about health care reform that included a reference to Boyd, who has been on a one-woman crusade for health reform after her son, Mike, died of cancer more than a year ago. Boyd has created a non-profit organization called Life O’ Mike to tell her son’s story and raise awareness about what she sees as the issues around health care reform.

Boyd spoke at a health care reform rally earlier this year in Pritchard Park, the event at which she apparently got into trouble. She was a speaker at the event, and she also shot photos which were used by the newspaper.

Click here for all the background.

If anyone hears anything, please let me know.