Glendale News-Press Writer Quits Over Alleged 'Bias' by Editor

Yet another bomb was dropped in connection with the campaign for the Glendale City Council during Tuesday night's City Council meeting, when columnist Sharon Raghavachary took to the podium during the public announcement segment to announce that she was resigning from the Glendale News-Press, citing "bias" by that paper's editor.

Raghavachary, who wrote the weekly "I'm Just Sayin'" column for the Glendale News-Press, referred to a private conversation she had with the paper's editor in chief, Dan Evans.

At the meeting, Raghavachary explained that during a Glendale School Board Candidate Forum, she spoke with Evans, who was moderating the forum. She alleged that she had a private conversation with Evans in which he commented "[] might be a felon," to which Raghavachary responded "he might not." According to Raghavachary, Evans then said, "We'll see."

Raghavachary went on to say that she was "bothered greatly" by this conversation. She commented: "I know that the editor has a great deal of influence. [...] I've watched a few of the meetings where council member Drayman has felt that there was bias in the press against him, and I always thought, 'Well, he might be a little paranoid.' I don't believe that anymore. I believe that there is bias, and I don't like what has occurred, so today, I tendered my resignation."

In an interview with Patch, Evans responded to the allegations, saying that he stands behind The Glendale News-Press' coverage. "The reporting has been very fair," he said. "We have received no requests for retractions for any of our stories."

In regard to his private comments on Drayman, Evans said: "I don't remember the conversation; I simply don't recall it. I can't deny [it]; I just don't remember having it." In any event, he points out that "the way she described it, it was a conversation between the two of us," not for public consumption.

"I'm certainly sorry to see Sharon go," he added. "I think she served the paper well. I'm sorry it came to this."

Raghavachary told Patch that she "holds newspapers to a very high standard," and that this is simply "a question of ethics." In her opinion, Evans is "spreading rumor and innuedo" and she "just couldn't let that slide."

Watch video of Raghavachary's statement here at 46:20.

Editor's Note: In the interests of full disclosure, Dan Evans is married to Donna Evans, the editor of La Cañada Flintridge Patch.

An earlier version of this story referred to Raghavachary as a staff writer; she was a freelance columnist. Also, due to an editing error, the story referred to the City Council seat representing La Crescenta; Glendale City Council members serve at large. Patch regrets the errors.