Amelia Ferrell Knisely, a journalist at West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB), was fired after reporting that people with disabilities were allegedly abused in state-run care facilities.
An NPR investigation found that the firing may have been the result of
pressure from the administration of West Virginia Governor Jim Justice
and some Republican lawmakers.
- Knisely said the decision to fire her came from Carl Antolini, WVPB's chief executive, who previously served as Justice's communications director.
- Antolini denied firing Knisely and said that politicians did not interfere in WVPB's coverage.
- Last November, Knisely published a piece titled, "Reports Show People With Disabilities Are Abused in State Care."
- The West Virginia health secretary wrote a letter to Antolini demanding that the article be retracted.
- A federal investigation into the allegations was announced shortly after Knisely's article was published.
- In December, Knisely was urged to stop reporting on the state health agency before she was fired on Dec. 20.
- Justice, who owns coal mines, resorts, and other businesses, is one of the richest people in West Virginia.
- He
tried and failed to completely cut funding to WVPB when he took office
in 2017, but state legislators were able to cut the agency's state
funding by ~$1M, roughly 10% of its overall budget.
