Michigan news directors Stanton Tang and Amy Fox were reportedly fired from their WOOD-TV station after sending a memo asking employees to minimize their coverage of "Pride" stories.
The memo revealed that the station started to receive “pushback” from conservative viewers who were displeased with the coverage of pride-related events.
“We know that West Michigan is a Conservative area in many ways. We need to recognize that some stories related to LGBTQ issues are going to be controversial and polarizing in our community,” Fox wrote in the memo, adding, “While you personally may not agree with a certain position, people are entitled to their opinions, and they are our viewers.”
Fox urged reporters to be “thoughtful” about the events they cover, saying they do not have the time or staff to cover every LGBTQ-friendly event or festival in West Michigan.
“We need to do some work to discern the newsworthy-ness of the event,” the memo continued. “If we are covering pride events, we need to consider how to make the story balanced and get both sides of the issue.”
Shortly after sending the memo, both Fox and Tang were let go from the station.
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It looks like Fox and Tang were fired for simply wanting to uphold good journalism - the kind that strives to be balanced and unbiased. Instead of acknowledging audience feedback, WOOD-TV prioritized wokeness over fairness for their viewers.
WOOD-TV producers Luke Stier and Madeline Odle took to social media to publicly criticize the memo.
“The news director & asst ND sent this memo without input from anyone in our newsroom,” Odle tweeted. “Our team immediately pushed back and called it to the attention of upper management.”
The news director & asst ND sent this memo without input from anyone in our newsroom. Our team immediately pushed back and called it to the attention of upper management.
— Madeline Odle (@MadelineOdleTV) June 15, 2023
This memo does not reflect our views. It has not and will not change how we cover members of our community. https://t.co/jfsJzTJBSS
“This memo does not reflect our views. It has not and will not change how we cover members of our community,” Odle added.
Ironically, Stier and Odle faced similar consequences for their actions, as WOOD-TV’s parent company Nexstar Media Group terminated the producers for allegedly leaking the memo to the press.
“After 20 combined years in one of the best newsrooms in America, we are waking up reading the news instead of writing it,” their joint statement read.
— Madeline Odle (@MadelineOdleTV) June 30, 2023
“We’ve had a front row seat to history for countless events in the city we love, working with the best journalists in the industry,” the statement continued. “We are heartbroken to not be with our team today continuing the incredible legacy we have fought so hard for.”
Looks like no one got a happy ending in this story. May this be a lesson to not work for news companies that can’t just stick to the facts. Prioritizing wokeness will always end in chaos - for everyone.
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