City Paper Headline: Too Racy to Print?

To be sure, the Washington City Paper is less constrained by social mores than its subscription based counterparts. The free weekly publication is known for raucous style and racy classifieds, but it also does serious city reporting.

Still, many readers this Thursday felt the Paper had finally crossed the line.

"I think it's very nasty," said Portia Gejewski, eyebrows raised.

"Wow, okay," gasped Malcolm Jordan as he walked past a paper stand on his way to the zoo with his wife and daughter. "It caught me off guard-- I'm speechless!"

The headline, in bold print, quotes Donna Watts-Brighthaupt accusing Councilman Marion Barry of a usually unmentionable act.

It reads, in part, "You Put Me Out in Denver 'Cause I Wouldn't (blank) (blank) (blank)" [three words redacted by FOX 5 and myfoxdc].

"Over the line, offensive, appalling, inappropriate," recounts Erik Wemple, editor of the City Paper.

Those are just some of the complaints coming in after the issue hit the public streets. Most are upset that the paper would put those words in clear sight of children.

Sue Giller, sipping a latte outside Starbucks with a 2-year-old child in tow, was agog.

"I just-- I looked over there and I couldn't even believe it! Are they even allowed to do that?" Giller wondered.

The answer is yes, they are. John Morris, Legal Counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology set us straight.

"The phrase is offensive to many, but it certainly is not obscene by any sort of definition. It's just very crude," said Morris.

Barry supporters attending his afternoon press conference were outraged. Tisa Mitchell waved the paper about angrily.

"Everybody has relationship issues, but it shouldn't be printed on the front page!" she fired.

Barry himself denounced the article as "trashcan reporting", but the City Paper stands by its decision.

The quote is pulled from a recording obtained by The City Paper of an argument between Barry and Watts-Brighthaupt.

Watts-Brighthaupt was referring to an incident in Denver, when the pair attended the Democratic National Convention. The article says Watts-Brighthaupt was working on Barry's re-election campaign at the time.

Wemple says citizens ought to be upset.

"I believe there's a tremendous public interest in knowing just what went on here, and just what sort of a person we're talking about in Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry," said Wemple.

Not everyone is bothered by the language. Mildred Talbott did raise her eyebrows, then declared herself un-offended.

"And the reason that I don't find it offensive," she explained, "is then I would be a victim of allowing someone to do something to me, and I refuse to let that happen."

Many wonder if the point could have been made in a less provocative way. Wemple says they experimented with a couple of different ways and they weren't happy with them.

Now, unhappy callers are giving Wemple an earful. He flips through half a legal pad full of names and numbers and begins dutifully dialing them back.

"It was indeed shocking," he agrees with one.

"It was not something we created-- the quote happened in real life," he explains to another.

Wemple grabs a full cup of coffee, leans back, and settles in for a long day of defending his position.