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News directors at Michigan TV station ousted after telling staff to ‘get both sides’ of Pride coverage
CNN ^ | June 30, 2023 | Liam Reilly

Posted on 06/30/2023 9:44:06 PM PDT by grundle

Two news directors at a Michigan NBC affiliate were ousted on Thursday following the circulation of an internal memo calling for scaled-back coverage of Pride Month events and directing the station’s journalists to “get both sides” on LGBTQ issues, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN.

The email, sent earlier this month by Stanton Tang, news director of Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV, and Amy Fox, the station’s assistant news director, said the “polarizing” nature of Pride events had upset some of its conservative viewers, CNN previously reported.

“We need to recognize that some stories related to LGBTQ issues are going to be controversial and polarizing in our community,” the memo sent by Fox said. “While you personally may not agree with a certain position, people are entitled to their opinions and they are our viewers.”

“If we are covering Pride events we need to consider how to make the story balanced and get both sides of the issue,” she added.

The memo sparked fierce backlash from the newsroom’s staff, prompting the station’s owner, Texas-based Nexstar, to launch an investigation into the matter. In a statement to CNN earlier this month, Nexstar said the email was “not consistent with Nexstar’s values, the way we cover the news, or the respect we have for our viewers” and apologized for offending members of the LGBTQ community and WOOD-TV’s viewers.

Two of the station’s executive producers, Luke Stier and Madeline Odle — who had, among others, publicly voiced their concern over the directive — were fired, the pair announced Friday on Twitter.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: media; mediabias; msm; pridemonth; wrongthink

1 posted on 06/30/2023 9:44:06 PM PDT by grundle
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To: grundle

Oh no...the last thing we would want is objectivity about these things and letting them know that these events are a health hazard, have people walking around naked in public, having sex shows in public including in view of minors, giving out candy shaped like genitalia, and a host of other highly disturbing events...so CNN apparently considers it to be a “scandal” that some newsrooms were asked to actually report the facts.


2 posted on 06/30/2023 9:47:35 PM PDT by Republican Wildcat
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To: grundle

The two who were fired were not the directors who sent the memo directing reporters to get both sides of the story. What gives?


3 posted on 06/30/2023 9:54:40 PM PDT by the_Watchman
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To: grundle

OK, WOOD-TV groomers.


4 posted on 06/30/2023 9:57:17 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: grundle

What a confusing mess of an article. I’m having trouble figuring out who got fired... The guys that wrote the note or the ones that bitched and moaned about it?


5 posted on 06/30/2023 10:04:48 PM PDT by aquila48 (Do not let them make you "care" ! Guilting you is how they control you. )
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To: grundle

WOOD is a joke. Always has been.

CC


6 posted on 06/30/2023 10:10:23 PM PDT by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: grundle
In the 1800s, when the Japs created & implemented the concept of “Thought Police”, they could never have imagined the extent to which it would grow and prosper...

No subsequent tyrannical nation implementing thought control has ever come close to the current global environment and its thought control technologies...

Particularly in the communist-controlled United States...

7 posted on 06/30/2023 10:13:45 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is the next Sam Adams when we so desperately need him)
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To: grundle
Two news directors at a Michigan NBC affiliate were ousted on Thursday following the circulation of an internal memo ... The email, sent earlier this month by Stanton Tang, news director of Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV, and Amy Fox, the station’s assistant news director...

Two of the station’s executive producers, Luke Stier and Madeline Odle— who had, among others, publicly voiced their concern over the directive — were fired, the pair announced Friday on Twitter.

So WHO were fired? Stanton Tang and Amy Fox? for Luke Stier and Madeline Odle?

8 posted on 06/30/2023 10:22:50 PM PDT by Angelino97
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To: Angelino97

WHO cares?

Anybody dumb enough to watch NBC in 2023 isn’t paying attention. Out of the ashes, eventually there will be accurate news reporting one day. Until then I can’t be made to care.


9 posted on 06/30/2023 10:59:23 PM PDT by Freedom4US
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NBC is Comcast.

FU, Comcast


10 posted on 06/30/2023 11:51:49 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: grundle

Effeminacy, running rampant.

DIE policies in full effect!


11 posted on 07/01/2023 1:30:58 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: aquila48

These days, “Dog Bites Man” story would be that, after the investigation, the executives instructing news personnel to cover “both sides” were fired in order to avoid a decrease in the company’s DIE score.

In the “Man Bites Dog” version of the story, the pantywaist LGBTQIA+MYNAMEISLEGION complainers are voted off the island. This despite the inevitable negative impact on the company’s DIE score.


12 posted on 07/01/2023 1:41:36 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: grundle

The article ends in this (confusing) way:

On Thursday, Gary Weitman, a Nexstar spokesperson, confirmed to CNN that the company had made changes to WOOD-TV’s newsroom leadership team to “ensure its ability to continue providing outstanding local news coverage and service to the Grand Rapids community and surrounding area.”

“As these are internal personnel decisions involving matters of personal privacy, we will decline further comment,” Weitman said.

Two of the station’s executive producers, Luke Stier and Madeline Odle — who had, among others, publicly voiced their concern over the directive — were fired, the pair announced Friday on Twitter.


13 posted on 07/01/2023 1:50:42 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: Gene Eric

Look who owns Comcast

Typical


14 posted on 07/01/2023 2:01:26 AM PDT by wardaddy (Technology is not by default an improvement )
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To: grundle

At least one of our local Knoxville stations emphasizes all things liberal, while never giving the conservative side ANY time.


15 posted on 07/01/2023 3:29:10 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: aquila48

“I’m having trouble figuring out who got fired... “

The good guys got fired because they wanted de-emphasize sin, and give equal coverage about normalcy. (At least that’s how I read it.)


16 posted on 07/01/2023 3:32:35 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: Gene Eric

We kicked Comcast to the curb in 2016. Now we’re buying a new house in a pretty rural area and Xfinity is the only internet provider. Cringe.


17 posted on 07/01/2023 3:37:26 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: grundle
“If we are covering Pride events we need to consider how to make the story balanced and get both sides of the issue,” she added.

Can't have balanced reporting. WEF does not allow it.

18 posted on 07/01/2023 3:40:54 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: grundle

This could be good news but it’s very deliberately vague.


19 posted on 07/01/2023 5:04:35 AM PDT by Ge0ffrey
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