The Boston Globe backed off Tuesday on its demand that columnist Mike Barnicle resign for lifting jokes from a book by comedian George Carlin without attribution, announcing a two-month suspension without pay.
Editor Matthew Storin announced the decision at a meeting with the editorial staff. Barnicle was at the meeting.
The Globe had sought the metro columnist’s resignation last week after revelations that he had used the jokes in an Aug. 2 column without attributing them. Hours before seeking the resignation, the newspaper announced an unpaid one-month suspension.
Barnicle was asked to resign when editors learned he had touted Carlin’s 1997 best seller, “Brain Droppings,” in a June broadcast of a local TV show.
Barnicle, 54, said he never read the book but promoted it anyway because he thinks Carlin is funny.
Storin said Barnicle misrepresented himself either to his editors or to his television viewers.
The controversy came less than two months after the Globe asked for the resignation of another columnist, Patricia Smith, who admitted to fabricating characters.
Barnicle refused to offer his resignation, saying his transgression was perhaps lazy and stupid but not akin to Smith’s errors.
