Grande Mesa

SAN ANTONIO - The Express-News today reports that it has accepted the resignation of music writer Ramiro Burr after a lengthy investigation concluded that Burr had been publishing work for the paper that was, in fact, not his. A local writer, Douglas Shannon, reportedly came forward recently with allegations that he had written a large bulk of Burr’s columns and stories over an extended period of time. Burr represented the work as his own and took full byline credit for the work.

In an effort to save face, Burr resigned and said, “Like all the other publications and online sites I write and have written for, the San Antonio Express-News has been good to me. I wish them all the best.”

Burr will most likely be sued, but what I find *incredible* is that he being made a scapegoat. His actions were wrong, but the fact that he got away with it FOR YEARS speaks to the complete and total ineptitude at the highest levels at the Express-News. An editor knows his reporter’s prose.

The credibility of the San Antonio Express-News has been severely compromised, in my opinion. In short, if there is not a major shakeup at the Express-News PDQ (i.e. editor Bob Rivard *finally* getting fired for years of bad management), then I’ve got zero faith that the newspaper can recover anytime soon from this.