Law: Tabloid Pays A Big Tab

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At the nation's third largest paper, the news last week was the News itself. The New York City tabloid (daily circ. 1.4 million) settled out of court, reportedly for $3.1 million, with four black journalists who had charged racial discrimination in promotions, raises and assignments between 1979 and 1982. It was the first such case against a major newspaper to go before a jury, which ruled for the plaintiffs in April. The agreement came after three days of out-of-court bargaining that took place in the trial's second stage to set monetary damages for the four journalists. The News, which maintained it never discriminated, now agrees to pursue aggressively the hiring and promotion of blacks in the newsroom. Said one plaintiff, Reporter David Hardy: "The settlement bodes well. I am confident there will be changes at the paper."