Felicia Sonmez

Felicia Sonmez is an American journalist. She began her career as a foreign correspondent in Beijing. In 2010, she joined The Washington Post as a political reporter. She is known for her social media activity, for which she was fired from the Post in June 2022.

Early life

Sonmez received a B.A. in Government from Harvard University in 2005.

Career

Sonmez was teaching English in Beijing when she began writing for Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun. She later was a foreign correspondent in Beijing for Agence France-Presse and an editor for The Wall Street Journal. She joined The Washington Post as a political reporter in 2010.

While a national political reporter for the Post in January 2020, Sonmez was placed on administrative leave after tweeting about the sexual assault charge against Kobe Bryant shortly after his death. The Post ultimately decided she did not violate its social media policy.

Sonmez again drew attention in July 2021 for suing The Washington Post, alleging that the paper had discriminated against her by blocking her from covering sexual assault after she came forward as a survivor. The suit was dismissed.

Sonmez was fired in June 2022 following conflict with colleagues on Twitter over workplace sexual harassment issues. The matter began when fellow Post reporter Dave Weigel retweeted a sexist joke, which Sonmez criticized in a tweet of her own. Weigel subsequently apologized and was suspended for a month. Post reporter Jose Del Real criticized Sonmez on Twitter for "rallying the internet to attack" Weigel. Weigel's post, and the ensuing conflict between the two and other Post colleagues lasted several days until Sonmez was fired. Her termination spurred debate over social media policies for reporters, after the termination letter accused her of "insubordination, maligning your coworkers online and violating the Post's standards on workplace collegiality and inclusivity".

Personal life

Sonmez resides in Washington, D.C.