Boston Globe places columnist Kevin Cullen on paid leave

BOSTON – The Boston Globe has placed columnist Kevin Cullen on paid leave as an examination of his work is conducted.

The newspaper said Friday it’s asking a third party to conduct the probe but didn’t detail what prompted it.

The Globe was awarded a 2014 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings the year before. Cullen was a finalist for commentary.

Boston sports radio station WEEI has pointed to what it describes as inconsistencies in Cullen’s coverage. It notes a column in which Cullen wrote about how horrifying it was “to watch as first responders frantically pulled metal barriers” to get to the injured. It says Cullen in a subsequent interview said he was 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) from the finish line when the bombs went off.

Cullen hasn’t responded to a Twitter message seeking comment.