When McDonald didn’t attend a news conference with the Jets’ owner and Mehta began calling and texting about his whereabouts, McDonald blocked Mehta’s number, he said. He wrote a splashy back-page cover story in January 2012 about anonymous Jets teammates criticizing quarterback Mark Sanchez’s work ethic. Other players complained to the Jets, too, convinced Mehta would be critical of them if they didn’t cooperate with him. After talking to Mehta and Jets officials, the PFWA, which advocates for reporters’ access, did not fight the Jets’ decision. In a written response, it defended Mehta’s reporting, according to a person who read it.

Source: Washington Post December 11, 2020 15:56 UTC