L.A. Times’ Rare Look Inside TV Management
Norfolk Paper Says City’s More Segregated Today
KYW-TV anchor Ukee Washington with Philadelphia children. He created an on-air segment called “Brotherly Love” to highlight heartwarming stories but was reportedly disparaged as “just a jive guy.” (KYW-TV video)
L.A. Times’ Rare Look Inside TV Management
“CBS Television Stations President Peter Dunn and a top lieutenant cultivated a hostile work environment that included bullying female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain Black journalists,” according to allegations by current and former CBS employees reported in a 4,100-word story Sunday, part of a two-part series by Los Angeles Times media reporter Meg James.
The story provides a rare look inside personnel decisions by television executives in which race and gender are factors.
The central figure in the report is Dunn, 61, (pictured) who “maintains a tight grip on the stations and has final say over which local anchors and reporters appear on CBS, according to current and former employees and court testimony. It’s a powerful role, because the stations shape local news for millions of viewers in L.A., San Francisco and other cities where CBS owns a TV station. . . .
“Since 2009, Dunn has run the chain of 28 CBS-owned TV stations that employ 2,800 workers, the company said, and contributed an estimated $1.6 billion a year in revenue, according to a document filed in a Pennsylvania legal proceeding. CBS would not confirm the revenue estimate.”
Most of the report centers around KYW-TV in Philadelphia. “Located in Philadelphia’s Center City, KYW is one of the world’s oldest TV stations and the birthplace of the ‘Eyewitness News’ format. According to a former journalist, Black residents would derisively refer to KYW as ‘White-Witness News’ because, historically, many of the on-air journalists were white — in a county where 44% of the population is African American, according to the U.S. Census Bureau,” James wrote.
The allegations came in a 2018 investigation authorized by the CBS board, undertaken by “two outside law firms to investigate sexual misconduct claims against its longtime leader, Leslie Moonves, and to scour the company for traces of a toxic atmosphere.” Moonves was ousted in a well-publicized shakeup that ended with a higher profile for women at the network, including a top role for
Susan Zirinsky, who became president of CBS News, the first woman to hold the title.
Also departing amid sexual misconduct allegations were anchor Charlie Rose and “60 Minutes” chief and former network chairman Jeff Fager.
However, “Marty Wilke, former general manager of CBS’ Chicago TV station . . . contends that CBS was so focused on uncovering incriminating information about Moonves that it gave short shrift to the alleged abuses in the TV stations,” James wrote.
James also reported, “A Times review of court filings, CBS’ internal communications and interviews with two dozen current and former CBS television station employees found that many were troubled by the outcome of the investigation and questioned the company’s commitment to cleaning up its culture. Dunn and another senior executive remain in their jobs, they say, despite allegations of serious misconduct.”
Two of the Black journalists mentioned in James’ story are KYW anchor Ukee Washington, a “hometown hero” promoted to anchor of the evening editions of “Eyewitness News” in 2015, and Brooke Thomas, a TV news anchor from Oklahoma who was working in Dallas.
Brien Kennedy, a veteran general manager brought in to overhaul the station in 2015, “said in an interview that Dunn frequently disparaged Washington, calling him ‘just a jive guy.’
“ ‘Peter would say: “All he does is dance … dancing, dancing,” ‘ Kennedy recalled in an interview.” Dunn fired Kennedy in 2019.
“Washington was popular in the community. For several years, the alum of the famed Philadelphia Boys Choir led children in a group dance at a Catholic school fundraiser. He created an on-air segment called ‘Brotherly Love’ to highlight heartwarming stories. “
Washington did not respond to the Times’ requests for comment, nor those from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
However, Ernest Owens (pictured), president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, said in a statement, “A newsroom that racially degrades one of its hardest working Black journalists is a newsroom that mocks the integrity and trust of the communities it aims to cover. CBS 3 and other news stations should not only aim to pander to Black audiences with inconsistent gestures, but actively work to make their actions speak louder than racist rhetoric.”
The statement added, “PABJ is calling on more than just a formal apology from CBS, but immediate changes to their managerial practices, culture, and vetting.
“We welcome a conversation and discussion of actionable changes with CBS 3 executive management on this matter and propose working together on a collaborative plan that addresses the systemic racism that is reflected in their newsroom, community outreach efforts, and their coverage.”
With Washington’s move to evenings, KYW managers needed to retool the morning show.
“The show launched April 4, 2016,” James wrote. “Former KYW employees described the mood in the station that day as electric. [Veteran news executive Margaret] Cronan said she was certain the debut had gone well.”
But the following day, James wrote, Cronan said she received an angry call from Dunn lieutenant David Friend.
“Cronan was among five women interviewed by The Times who sought investigators’ help to end alleged mistreatment at CBS’ TV stations.
“ ‘It was just immediate screaming on the phone, not constructive criticism — just venom and profanity,’ Cronan said. ‘He screamed: “Tell her to shut the [expletive] up,” ‘ in reference to Thomas. ‘I was flabbergasted,’ said Cronan, who kept her notes from that conversation, which The Times has examined. ‘I’ve never witnessed that type of behavior in the workplace. ‘. . .
“Now in L.A., Thomas declined to comment for this story.”
“KYW has lost several prominent Black journalists. In 2015, a rising star, Steve Patterson, left the station for NBC News. In 2016, Justin Finch, at the time the station’s only Black male reporter, joined an NBC station in Washington. Both declined to comment.
“Rahel Solomon, a Philadelphia native and the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants who had replaced Thomas as KYW’s morning co-anchor, also exited. Kennedy said he pressed Dunn for months to extend Solomon’s contract, but during a two-hour-plus phone call to discuss the matter, Kennedy said Dunn raised ‘bizarre objections’, such as saying, ‘I hate her face.’ (Kennedy described the episode in a July 2019 document, reviewed by The Times, that recounted instances of race and sex discrimination he said he witnessed.) Solomon, who declined to comment, joined CNBC in 2019.
“The Times spoke with four Black journalists who worked at KYW. None agreed to an on-the-record interview, citing fear of reprisal. But in conversations, several relayed instances of unequal treatment and racist comments. They described the CBS station as ‘hostile’ and ‘dysfunctional.’ Some expressed frustration with what one called a ‘cookie-cutter approach’ to local news.
” ‘It’s like they have no idea who should be telling the stories,’ said one Black journalist, formerly of KYW. ‘They thought I was disposable, and in that kind of environment, you become an ornament. That happens a lot in the industry — but especially at KYW.’ ”
James also wrote, “CBS defended its inclusion efforts at KYW, saying 45% of the station’s on-air reporters and anchors are Black, Indigenous or other people of color.
“ ‘I believe that I — and our stations — have a strong track record of hiring, supporting and placing women and BIPOC journalists in important roles as anchors, reporters and news directors,’ Friend said in a statement to The Times. ‘These comments I may have made about our employees or prospective hires were only based on performance or qualifications — not about anyone’s race or gender. ‘ ”
Norfolk Paper Says City’s More Segregated Today
“Today, decades after Brown v. Board of Education and the Fair Housing Act were supposed to break down barriers dividing the races, neighborhoods in Norfolk are even more segregated than they were during the Jim Crow era, and the schools aren’t far behind,” the Virginian-Pilot wrote Thursday in a summary of a new series.
“The city of Norfolk is segregated,” reporters Sara Gregory and Ryan Murphy declared Thursday.
They added, “In fact, [it’s] more separated by race now than it was in the Jim Crow era, the post-Reconstruction period when racist laws and unwritten rules were put in place to oppress and segregate Black people across the American south.
“Norfolk didn’t start out segregated, nor did people naturally clump together by race. Decisions were made by powerful people and government entities that divided the city.
“As Norfolk embarks on a mission to reshape a huge swath of itself in what it’s calling the St. Paul’s redevelopment, The Virginian-Pilot is exploring the ways the city is divided by race and class, how it got that way and, perhaps most importantly, what can be done to mend those divisions. . . .”
A separate piece acknowledged that “Sara Gregory and Ryan Murphy, the two reporters behind ‘Dividing Lines,’ are white,” they began. “So is Eric Hartley, their editor.
“All three of us grew up in white, suburban areas. We went through school with classmates who looked like us. As adults, we live in largely white neighborhoods and socialize in largely white spheres.
“We also work for newspapers with a spotty-at-best history of covering the Black communities of Hampton Roads. The Virginian-Pilot won Pulitzer Prizes in 1929 and 1960 for editorials, respectively, condemning lynching and criticizing Virginia’s decision to close schools rather than integrate them. But at some points in the histories of The Pilot and the Daily Press, coverage of Black communities and issues was virtually non-existent or outright hostile. The Pilot’s owner also owned the pro-segregation Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch.
“And we work for a company that, by its own admission, is not diverse enough. We have seven Black journalists out of a staff of 71 — not quite 10% — covering a region whose major cities range from 20% to 55% Black. . . .”
The acknowledgment “drew heated responses from readers on social media,” Meghan Roos reported Friday for Newsweek. The wording of the piece was revised.
Trump Frees Detroit’s Kwame Kilpatrick
January 20, 2021
Updated Jan. 24
Free Press Stories Sent Him to Prison
Former Prison Journalist on Pardon List
Vogue Retreats; Prints New Kamala Harris Cover
New Ebony CEO Is ‘Little Black Girl from Oakland’
Vega Joins 6 Women Leading Biden Coverage
Free Press Stories Sent Him to Prison
President Trump commuted the sentence of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick “as part of a flurry of clemency action in the final hours of his White House term that benefited more than 140 people, including rap performers, ex-members of Congress and other allies of him and his family,” as Jonathan Lemire, Eric Tucker and Jill Colvin reported Wednesday for the Associated Press.
“The commutation of the sentence knocks about 20 years off his 28-year sentence,” Detroit Fox affiliate WJBK-TV reported. “Kilpatrick served seven years for corruption and racketeering in office. He served as mayor of Detroit from 2001 to 2008. He was sentenced in 2013 and has since lost his appeals.”
The news led the overnight home pages of the major Detroit media (with the exceptions of the Michigan Chronicle, which caught up later with a bylined story) and CBS affiliate WWJ-TV (which also caught up), giving the Detroit Free Press an opportunity to remind readers:
“The Free Press spent years investigating Kilpatrick and won the Pulitzer Prize in [2009] for exposing many of his wrongdoings in office, including publishing text messages that showed he lied about an affair with an aide and covered up the firing of a deputy police chief during a police whistleblower trial.“
Caesar Andrews, a Black journalist now teaching at the University of Nevada-Reno, was executive editor at the time.
As a mayor with a national following, thanks in part to the network of fellow graduates of Florida A&M University, a historically black institution, Kilpatrick was viewed as a rising political figure in the early 2000s, just as Barack Obama was. But in 2015, when Obama, as president, visited the Oklahoma prison where Kilpatrick was being held, Robert Snell of the Detroit News wrote, it was “a reminder of how far their careers and fortunes have diverged. . . .”
The announcement from the Trump White House, issued just before 1 a.m., said, “This commutation is strongly supported by prominent members of the Detroit community, Alveda King, Alice Johnson, Diamond and Silk, Pastor Paula White, Peter Karmanos, Representative Sherry Gay-Dagnogo of the Michigan House of Representatives, Representative Karen Whitsett of the Michigan House of Representatives, and more than 30 faith leaders.
“Mr. Kilpatrick has served approximately 7 years in prison for his role in a racketeering and bribery scheme while he held public office. During his incarceration, Mr. Kilpatrick has taught public speaking classes and has led Bible Study groups with his fellow inmates.”
Allan Lengel wrote for Deadline Detroit, “Kilpatrick, 50, served as mayor from 2002-08 and was sentenced in 2013. He’s at a federal prison in Oakdale, La. . . .
“After losing all his appeals in court, Kilpatrick tried through surrogates, both Republicans and Democrats, to convince Trump in the past four years to set him free. He even sent Trump a gushing letter in 2019.
” ‘I first want to congratulate you for the overwhelming and stunning victories of your Presidential campaign, and also the unprecedented success of your first two-years in office,’ Kilpatrick, a lifelong Democrat, wrote. ‘You have shaken up the entire world … and that is a great thing to behold.’
“It’s unclear exactly when Kilpatrick will be freed, and whether he’ll have to quarantine when he gets out. Covid has been widespread in U.S. prisons and jails.
“Many in the legal community had argued that Kilpatrick’s sentence was far too harsh. Others thought the sentence was appropriate considering the scope of his crimes. . . .”
Plenty will debate whether Kilpatrick’s 28 year sentence was too much. That debate is warranted.
— Ross Jones (@rossjonesWXYZ) January 20, 2021
What can’t be debated is the depth of his corruption. He stole from needy children. He stole from senior citizens. He drove a broken city further into ruin and never apologized. https://t.co/YniOUfXYfH
Investigative reporter Ross Jones of WXYZ-TV was one of the dissenters. He tweeted shortly after midnight, “Plenty will debate whether Kilpatrick’s 28 year sentence was too much. That debate is warranted.
“What can’t be debated is the depth of his corruption. He stole from needy children. He stole from senior citizens. He drove a broken city further into ruin and never apologized.”
Tresa Baldas wrote for the Free Press, “There were several false alarms about an early release from Kilpatrick’s supporters over the last year as rumors got out that he was going to be freed early and allowed to live with his mother in home confinement in Georgia, though that never happened. Then word got out that he would be freed due to COVID-19 concerns, though that never materialized, either.
“While prison officials shot down Kilpatrick, the persistent prisoner held on, clinging to one final hope: that Trump would set him free.”
Involvement with the Kilpatrick case helped lead to the firing of Willard Jackson Jr., chairman and CEO of Ebony Media Holdings.
A May 22 news release from Ebony declared in an “exclusive,” “Kwame Kilpatrick, former Detroit Mayor, has been granted home confinement after spending 7 years of a 28-year sentence in prison. . . . EBONY will receive an exclusive first interview with Kilpatrick, and he will hold a press conference shortly after.”
That proved not to be the case, and in July, the company announced Jackson’s ouster.
“We weren’t getting the level of transparency that we were accustomed to,” Jacob Walthour Jr., then-newly elected board chairman and a Black-owned asset manager, told Journal-isms by telephone at the time. “And it raised a set of red flags.”
- Cydney Henderson, USA Today: President Trump pardons rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black hours before Joe Biden’s inauguration
- John Kiriakou with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, “Democracy Now!”: Profiting from Pardons: Giuliani Aide Told CIA Whistleblower a Trump Pardon Would Cost $2 Million
- Charlie Langton and FOX 2 Staff, WJBK-TV: Trump made $3M mistake in commuting paperwork for Kwame Kilpatrick
- Darren A. Nichols, Detroit Free Press: For Detroiters, commutation is about more than Kwame Kilpatrick
- Ari Shapiro with Stephen Henderson, NPR: Detroit’s Reaction To Trump Granting Clemency To Former Mayor Kilpatrick
- Hank Winchester, WDIV-TV, Detroit: How Kim Kardashian triggered domino effect leading to Kwame Kilpatrick’s clemency
. . . Former Prison Journalist on Pardon List
. . . Also pardoned was Michael “Harry-O” Harris, former editor-in-chef of San Quentin News, the prison newspaper at San Quentin State Prison in California. Harris, along with Suge Knight, founded Death Row Records.
The pardon was facilitated by was facilitated by Snoop Dogg and friends, Sha Be Allah wrote for The Source.
The Source reported, “ ‘Harry-O had another 10 years and he may not have made it’ said Weldon Angelos, one of the activists who assisted Snoop in releasing Harris. ‘There’s COVID…it’s rampant, there’s 40,000 people infected in the federal prison system and 190 deaths and it’s rising every day.’ ”
The White House notice said, “Mr. Harris is a 59 year old who has served 30 years of a 25 year to life sentence for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Mr. Harris has had an exemplary prison record for three decades. He is a former entrepreneur and has mentored and taught fellow prisoners how to start and run businesses. He has completed courses towards business and journalism degrees. Upon his release, Mr. Harris will have a meaningful place of employment and housing with the support of his family.”
In a 2018 story on the San Quentin News, Harris said, “The human beings that are encapsulated inside these prison walls have the power to change themselves, as well as influence others in positive ways. Some of us will never get out and others will. What has become obvious is that we can learn from our mistakes, and so can others, if we, as a community, are brave enough to share in this undertaking.”
William J. Drummond, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley who in 2012 joined those advising the prison journalists, wrote on Facebook Wednesday:
“Free at last! Trump pardoned Michael (Harry O) Harris, co-founder of Death Row Records and former editor-in-chief of the San Quentin News.
After San Quentin closed the print shop in 2008, the newspaper was about to fold. Harris [paid] for printing the San Quentin News out of his own pocket. He served as editor-in-chief for a couple of months until he finished his sentence.
“When he walked out of SQ, the US marshals were waiting for him. They took him up the highway to a federal prison, where he has been ever sense.
“Meanwhile, the other co-founder of Death Row Records, Marion Hugh (Suge) Knight Jr. is serving a life sentence for murder.
“Hope I can get Harry O to be a guest speaker for my San Quentin News class.”
- Kevin Kayhart, Daily Mail Online: Snoop Dogg lobbying President Donald Trump to pardon Death Row Records co-founder Michael ‘Harry-O Harris… after three decades behind bars
Vogue Retreats; Prints New Kamala Harris Cover
“Vogue will publish a limited print edition of its February issue, featuring Kamala Harris, with a new photo following widespread backlash against an original cover image widely held to lack respect for the vice-president-elect,” Priya Elan reported Tuesday for The Guardian.
“The limited edition, with a cover image previously used online, will be published after inauguration ceremonies on Wednesday, when Harris will become the first person of Black and south Asian descent sworn in as vice-president.
“The original cover image, showing Harris wearing Converse sneakers and casual clothes, sparked ire on social media, users questioning why Vogue would choose the image over the more formal online cover featuring Harris in a powder blue Michael Kors suit in front of a gold background.
“The Washington Post fashion critic Robin Givhan wrote: ‘Vogue robbed Harris of her roses. A bit of awe would have served the magazine well in its cover decisions. Nothing about the cover said, “Wow.” And sometimes, that’s all Black women want, an admiring and celebratory “wow” over what they have accomplished.’
“There were also questions over lighting, considering Harris’s skin tone. Vogue was previously criticised for its lighting of the gymnast Simone Biles, its August cover star.
“A Vogue spokesperson said: ‘In recognition of the enormous interest in the digital cover and in celebration of this historic moment, we will be publishing a limited number of special edition inauguration issues.’ . . . “
- Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD: Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris Receives Praise From Former Vogue Editor at Large André Leon Talley (paywall) (Jan. 11)
- Maudlyne Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times: Breaking barriers may be easy part: Vogue magazine Kamala Harris cover foretells battle to get respect she’s earned
- Miles Socha, WWD: Interest in Converse Spiked After Kamala Harris Vogue Cover (Jan. 13)
New Ebony CEO Is ‘Little Black Girl from Oakland’
Owners of Ebony and Jet magazines have chosen Michele Ghee (pictured) as CEO, saying she “has generated billions of dollars in revenue while working for some of the most powerful companies in the world including WME [the talent agency William Morris Endeavor], CNN, A&E, The History Channel and BET Networks,” the company announced Tuesday.
Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, an entrepreneur and former NBA player, won approval last month from U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston to buy the magazine company. Ebony was forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July by its creditors after defaulting on more than $10 million in loans.
“Bridgeman said he expects Ebony to remain a digital publication, with occasional special print issues,” Robert Channick reported last month in the Chicago Tribune.
A news release said, “While at BET, Michele created and ran the first and only network for black women: BETHer. . . . She is charged with creating the vision and activating the strategy for these iconic brands as she steers them into the 21st century.”
Ghee is quoted as saying, “Everything we say will come through the lens of Black journalists. We will ensure there is a safe space for Black journalism to thrive. I’m a little Black girl from Oakland, CA. I’m not apologizing for any of it. Our voices matter. We are History in the making!”
- Tre’vell Anderson, Los Angeles Times: How Ebony and Jet magazines aim for a comeback. New CEO: ‘I want my people back’
Vega Joins 6 Women Leading Biden Coverage
“ABC News is shuffling its Washington correspondents, tapping Cecilia Vega to be its new chief White House correspondent,” Alex Weprin reported Tuesday for the Hollywood Reporter.
“At least six major news networks have assigned women to lead White House coverage of the Biden administration, raising the profile of female journalists in an institution long dominated by men,” added Alexis Benveniste for CNN.
“CNN named Kaitlan Collins its chief White House correspondent, replacing Jim Acosta, who will be the anchor and chief domestic correspondent for the network.
“ABC said Cecilia Vega will be its White House correspondent; The Washington Post named Ashley Parker as the newspaper’s White House bureau chief; Nancy Cordes will be CBS News’ chief White House correspondent; and Kristen Welker will be a co-chief White House correspondent for NBC with Peter Alexander.
Like other female journalists of color, Vega had her share of insults from President Trump.
“When Cecilia Vega accepted a job covering President Donald Trump, her mother questioned the decision,” Christian Galeno wrote for the student-written Latino Reporter during the 2018 convention of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
‘“My mom told me — ‘why would you do this to yourself? You’re literally all three things he hates: a woman, a Mexican and a journalist and it is dangerous for you,’ said Vega, who is the White House correspondent for ABC News.
“Her reply: ‘Mom, what better person to sit in the front row of that briefing room then?’ ”
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