Barras fired from WAMU

After six years as an analyst on WAMU-FM’s (88.5) “The Politics Hour With Kojo and Jonetta,” D.C. political observer Jonetta Rose Barras was fired from her job at the public radio outlet.

Ms. Barras, who co-hosted the Friday program with WAMU personality Kojo Nnamdi, was dismissed yesterday after repeatedly lobbying for more compensation for what she described as an immense amount of work, some of which was outside her initial job description.

“I felt that there was little appreciation on the part of the program manager, Mark McDonald, as to the enormous amount of work involved in doing this job,” Ms. Barras told Channel Surfing. “I am not just some on-air personality; I am an analyst. And as an analyst, I need to know the news, understand that news, understand all the players involved with it and be able to articulate the issues in a cogent way.”

Ms. Barras, who also writes a column for the Washington Examiner, noted that her predecessor on the show, Mark Plotkin — now a WTOP-FM (103.5) political analyst — was paid a full-time salary for his services.

When she joined the show replacing Mr. Plotkin in 2002, the position was relegated to part time, but Ms. Barras said there was an understanding “that there would be an opportunity” to increase her pay.

Things came to a head in January when the weekly politics roundup expanded its coverage to include Maryland and Virginia, she said.

“I agreed to do that with the understanding that I would be compensated appropriately, so I began to push for that and there was some annoyance on their part that I was pushing for that,” she said.

“You’re adding Maryland and Virginia and you’re expecting me to be knowledgeable about these issues?”

Separately, Ms. Barras said she did a special election-night show on WAMU and had an agreement with the station on how much she would be paid, because it was in addition to her “Politics Hour” duties.

But she was paid only half the amount that was agreed upon, she said.

The station yesterday asked her to resign, but she refused and was dismissed, she said.

“I’ve been in this business for 25 years. I’m not some cub reporter. And while everybody needs a paycheck, I am not so desperate to maintain a job that I would be willing to compromise my basic standards and my principles,” Ms. Barras said.

“I realize it’s public radio, but it’s not slave radio.”

She said she has not decided whether to pursue a claim of discrimination against the station.

In the meantime, in addition to her Examiner column, she said she has a couple of book projects as well as her work with Esther Productions Inc., a nonprofit focusing on girls who grow up without fathers.

WAMU yesterday issued a press release announcing her departure and the show’s new title, “The Politics Hour.”

The station said Mr. Nnamdi will be joined by guest hosts until a replacement for Ms. Barras is hired.

Mr. McDonald said he was unable to discuss the matter, citing a station policy of not commenting on personnel issues.

Likewise, a WAMU spokeswoman said Mr. Nnamdi was unable to comment.

•Channel Surfing runs Wednesdays. E-mail krowland@washingtontimes.com.