Jeff Passan doesn’t consider himself an “advocate journalist,” yet he found himself in that role after the Department of Defense temporarily removed an article about Jackie Robinson’s military career from its website. On Thursday’s episode of The Ryen Russillo Podcast, Passan discussed both the upcoming MLB season and his involvement in the Robinson story, which came to his attention when a social media follower alerted him to the article’s dead link.
Initially afraid he might have been Centel’d, Passan called out the story’s removal, urging the “ghouls” responsible to restore it. He clarified that his intention wasn’t to make a political statement but rather to uphold a principle. “This is a story that is about principle. And I thought we all agreed that Jackie Robinson’s an American hero,” he told Russillo, emphasizing that Robinson’s legacy shouldn’t be diminished for political reasons related to the current president’s perspective on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
After his post went viral late Tuesday night, by Wednesday morning it had taken on a life of its own. While covering the New York Mets at Spring Training, he received two statements from a Pentagon spokesperson reaffirming the removal of the article, which Passan described as a “bomb-throwing.” Despite these responses, the article was eventually restored, with the DOD refusing to explain its initial removal. Passan clarified that he wasn’t seeking social media fame; instead, he aimed to leverage the credibility he’s built throughout his career to highlight Robinson’s significance in American history. “I’m not seeking any sort of justice here. I’m not seeking any sort of remuneration,” he stated. “It’s just that Jackie Robinson is such an important part of telling the American story, and it felt like this was being whitewashed. Sometimes people tell on themselves, and it felt like they told on themselves here.”
