Over the past two decades, I have sent more than 50 different op-ed pieces to The Philadelphia Inquirer for consideration.  Each time, I have received a polite response that the editors will consider what I have sent. But, after that, there has been only silence.  in summary, I am 0 for 50+ at The Inky —- not a very good batting average!!!!

A prominent writer/author friend of mine who is periodically published by The Inquirer, suggested that I must be doing something wrong technically!  So, he worked with me to edit/fine tune an op-ed piece I had written, and he personally carried it to one of the editors at The Philadelphia Inquirer.  However, my friend’s naïve effort on my behalf also failed.

So the message to me from The Philadelphia Inquirer has become very clear to me! There is no possibility of me getting published by The Inquirer. I have no desire to pursue this in any way or to be confrontational about this. It is what it is …and I have reluctantly accepted it.

Even though I have worked in leadership roles in public education for 30 years, I have no claim to infallibility or brilliant insights nor do I crave a public spotlight.  Nevertheless, this apparent censorship is disturbing.  Of course I am bothered by the fact that blacklisting seems to have happened to me, but I am much more concerned by the concept that censorship by a major daily metropolitan newspaper could happen to anyone in the USA.  

Despite this censorship by The Philadelphia Inquirer, I have continued to write op-ed pieces and almost all of them have been published locally and even nationally.