Frame-up at the Voice?

Published Mar 05 2007, 09:37 PM by Adam Reilly

Okay, let's get this straight:

--On Wednesday, February 28*, there's a race-related discussion in the Village Voice's weekly story meeting. Editor David Blum cops to being an Upper West Side Jew and being unable to reach "Joe Jones from Flatbush," according to Radar.

--On Friday, Blum is canned. His firing is linked to comments made at the aforementioned meeting that some employees considered "offensive." Voice spokeswoman Maggie Shnayerson tells the Times: "The incident this week brought to a head concerns that the newspaper’s management had for a period of time."

--Late Friday afternoon, Bill Jensen, Village Voice Media's head of new media, breaks the news to Voice staffers. He also says he'll be interim editor.

--Today, the New York Observer reports that Tony Ortega, head of Broward-Palm Beach New Times, will be Blum's replacement.

Here's my question: given how quickly all this happened, is there anyone out there who doesn't think Blum was a dead man walking before last Wednesday's meeting?

*NOTE: Not March 7, as I originally wrote.