Did another news anchor quit because he's tied of reporting news that is fiction?
Joe Donovan long time morning anchor of CBS News Radio WWJ 950 am In Detroit quit live on the air today. Joe stated on his website,
"There is nothing like being on the air when a major story begins to break. After more than three decades at WWJ, I feel the same excitement as the first day we began broadcasting the latest news the minute you want it. The change in the tools to do that has been incredible, from old time clunking teletype machines to high-speed internet and worldwide digital communications. Still, my favorite technology is old fashioned book. Reading is my favorite pastime, especially non-fiction and biography. The most fun part of my day is researching and assembling my daily on-air and web “Joe Donovan’s Detroit History".
Then in Bangor Maine, a pair of local TV news anchors had a surprise for viewers at the end of their 6 p.m. newscast on last month when they quit
Cindy Michaels and Tony Consiglio, anchors for ABC's WVII affiliate in Bangor, Maine, announced their joint resignations, citing a dispute with management over journalistic practices.
"And finally tonight, this will be Tony and my final show together right here on ABC 7," Michaels told viewers. "The last six years have been an interesting and enjoyable time for us as we have been the longest-running news team in Bangor."
"On behalf of Cindy and me, we have loved every moment bringing the news to you," Consiglio said. "Some recent developments have come to our attention, though, and departing together is the best alternative."
The duo did not elaborate for viewers, but they did for the local newspaper.
"There was a constant disrespecting and belittling of staff," Michaels told the Bangor Daily News. "We both felt there was a lack of knowledge from ownership and upper management in running a newsroom to the extent that I was not allowed to structure and direct them professionally. I couldn't do everything I wanted to as a news director. There was a regular undoing of decisions."
"It's a culmination of ongoing occurrences that took place the last several years and basically involved upper-management practices that we both strongly disagreed with," she continued. "It's a little complicated, but we were expected to do somewhat unbalanced news, politically, in general."
The station's management dismissed Michaels' claims.
"Upper management is not involved in the daily production of the news, period," Mike Palmer, WVII vice president and general manager, told the paper. "We've made great changes over the last few months and are not slowing down. Over the last 15 to 18 months, we've been a raging locomotive of change."
Palmer also told the Associated Press that the pair "were on their way out, anyway," and that "sometimes people leave their jobs before they're asked to leave."
Michaels, 46, said she will remain in Bangor to pursue a writing career and work on a novel, while Consiglio, 28, will continue his career "in another capacity."
No comments:
Post a Comment