Business

NEWS EDITOR THROWS A FIT & PHONE; IS SUSPENDED

In the latest turmoil to rock the Daily News newsroom, Ian Bishop, a top political editor, has been suspended for two weeks after tossing a telephone at another editor’s office, shattering a glass wall.

The suspension of Bishop, who was initially expected to be part of the paper’s political reporting team covering the Democratic and Republican conventions, couldn’t come at a worse time for a daily newspaper covering a national election.

The incident happened Saturday morning, when Bishop apparently became irate with someone he was speaking with on the phone and tossed the phone in the direction of the office of Stuart Marques, the paper’s managing editor of news.

Marques was not present at the time of the incident.

The source said, “Nobody knows what set him off.”

“Nobody was hurt, but people in the newsroom at the time were a little shocked and a little scared by his behavior,” said one source.

People familiar with the matter said that Bishop, the paper’s deputy managing editor for politics, apologized to staffers by the end of the day. By Sunday, the brass handed him a suspension.

Bishop could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Bishop, who previously worked at The Post, was said to have been personally recruited to the News by Editor-in-Chief Martin Dunn, and sources speculate that is why his punishment wasn’t more severe.

A Daily News spokeswoman did not return a call seeking comment.

The suspension comes as owner Mort Zuckerman is in the process of downsizing his editorial staff by another 25 people by a Sept. 12 deadline.

So far, nobody has volunteered, said one source. “People in the newsroom are petrified that there will be more firings if they don’t get the 25,” said the source.