Burlington Free Press Executive Editor Denis Finley Credit: Courtesy Steve Earley/The Virginian-Pilot

Burlington Free Press editor Denis Finley was fired on Monday, three days after he posted a series of controversial tweets.

Executives at Gannett, the Free Press‘ parent company, made the move after meeting with Finley, who joined the paper in 2016.

“Upon review, it was determined that Finley had violated the company’s social media guidelines on a number of occasions,” the Free Press wrote in a story posted on its website Monday evening.

Finley suggested in his Friday evening Twitter post that Vermont’s proposal to offer a third gender option on government identification “makes us one step closer to the apocalypse.”

The comment drew swift backlash. Several Free Press readers said they planned to cancel their subscriptions to the paper. Others noted a slew of Finley’s older tweets that they found objectionable.

After his firing Monday, Finley told Seven Days that he began to worry about his future at the Free Press as the criticism poured in over the weekend.

“The reaction was overwhelming, I’ll tell you that,” Finley said. “It was pretty amazing to me.”

Finley declined to comment on the Free Press’ internal handling of the situation, or the details of the meeting in which he was fired, other than to say he “didn’t know what to expect” going into it.

Emilie Stigliani, the paper’s planning editor, has been named interim editor during the search for Finley’s replacement.

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11 replies on “Media Note: Top Burlington Free Press Editor Fired After Controversial Tweets”

  2. How can it be amazing to him? Really? This is a surprise? Surely he cannot be so unintelligent and so tone-deaf that he could think tweeting the things he did would not lead to being fired. Somebody that lacking in reading the pulse of the community he serves has no business running a newspaper that serves that community. I suspect he’s in the wrong profession, and I have no doubt that he is in the wrong place.

  4. So this guy isn’t allowed to express his personal opinions in Tweets on his account??? So be it. NOBODY IS ALLOWED A PERSONAL OPINION IN VT ANYMORE. What bloody goddamned weaklings you people are. “Oooh ! My fee fees are hurt cuz a BFP editor THINKS a 3rd gender option is ridiculous !” BFP and Gannett are cowardly to just give in and fire someone for having their own personal opinions. They seem to lack the balls to tell people “This is America and people are allowed to have opinions, EVEN IF YOU DON’T LIKE THEM”.

  5. Mr. Finley simply gave expression to what every sensible person would think as regards this stupid alternative gender issue. He gets FIRED for upholding the natural state of things!!!! This is beyond outrageous and shows just how crazy the people of Vermont have become in the Bernie(commie)era. I was born and raised in Burlington and realized many years ago that I had to leave as the Bernie era was just beginning. Living now in Virginia I can say unequivocally that Vermont and Vermonters are a laughing stock in my adoptive state. Whatever goofy new trend comes down the pike Vermonters are all in. Ugh!!! Good riddance to the Green Mountain State.

  6. Clearly some people don’t understand the journalist code of ethics. He’s an editor in Chief, not columnist.

  7. Sorry to lose a good man.

    Finley got swept up in the rules of new journalism, which are ‘go ahead and Tweet – but don’t offend.’

    He’ll do just fine, thank you.

  8. Given that he shouted out loud on his profile on the personal account that he was Editor-in-Chief of BFP, he was linking his account to his job. Had he simply said he was a nobody, he probably could have gotten away with his personal opinions. But he advertised the connection with BFP, held himself out as a member of the press, and should accept with whatever grace he has the outcome of his misfeasance. Those who say he’s entitled to his opinion are, of course, right. What he is not entitled to do is to pretend his opinion has something to do with his job and then complain when his job says, “No dice.”

  9. In 1970, when I was Free Press Capitol Bureau Chief, I was married to a staffer for Phil Hoff’s Senate campaign. One day my editor, Gordon Mills, called me into the office to say he had received complaints that I was driving to events with a Hoff sticker on my car. But, I pointed out, it was my wife’s car, so of course she had a Hoff sticker on it, and if I were paid more, I could buy my own car without a sticker. Not surprisingly, I lost the argument. The Freeps, regardless of any other strengths or weaknesses, has always had a strict policy separating personal and editorial opinions, and I for one am glad to see it is still enforced, at least in this case!

  10. Several Free Press readers said they planned to cancel their subscriptions to the paper. Others noted a slew of Finley’s older tweets that they found objectionable. must be Snowflakes Liberals!!!
    In Vermont now you can’t have opinions anymore … you might “offend” someone. You will get Fired!! Seems to me if you don’t know your real gender they should have a box that says “GUESS”… !!!! Bet those complainers aren’t even true old Vermonters, real Vermonters would either shake their heads or have a good laugh. Some might not agree some might agree but they wouldn’t be offended …and surely not cancel their subscriptions, how else would they start their wood stove!!!!

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