There's some new racial intrigue in the unlikeliest of places: the awarding of D.C. government advertising contracts, reports Washington City Paper.
According to a City Paper piece, the controversy centers around a contract to advertise unclaimed property that's been awarded to the Washington Times. Washington Informer publisher Denise Rolark Barnes claims her paper was denied a chance at the contract by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer because her paper's coverage centers on Washington's black residents. Barnes has filed a protest against the contract award, the Washington Business Journal reports.
The conflict, continues City Paper, hinges on whether the Informer counts as a "newspaper of general circulation," which is what the city's initial contract solicitation called required. In her complaint, Barnes quotes a city contracting official saying that the Informer's editorial focus of black Washingtonians means it isn't a "newspaper of general circulation." Barnes counters that the Informer can be read by any Washingtonian.
The Informer has received city ad awards in the past, the Business Journal reports.