News anchor Elex Michaelson of Los Angeles’s FOX affiliate tweeted Monday that he had been told by an executive at ABC News that he could not become a network correspondent because ABC was not hiring white men for the job.
Michaelson now works as a news anchor for FOX 11 KTTV, and hosts his own weekly statewide program, The Issue Is. He has led coverage of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations — and riots — that have risen across Southern California.
He related his story of discrimination in the context of newly-emerging allegations about racism at ABC News.
I've never said this publicly…
In 2017, ABC7 recommended I become a network correspondent.
Barbara Fedida told me: "You're qualified. But you're a white male & my bosses told me I can only hire women & minorities for the next couple years."@yashar https://t.co/47EE8vB0Wi
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) June 16, 2020
My hope in sharing this is to show support for the victims of racism at ABC News.
I also hope, going forward, this culture where race is so cavalierly & crudely discussed by executives with hiring & firing power…is over.
We as a society…and as an industry…can do better.
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) June 16, 2020
I also want to make clear there is TREMENDOUS value in having a diverse newsroom.
Our viewers would be better served by having reporters & executives that looked like them.
Political, religious, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic diversity in the room creates more accurate stories
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) June 16, 2020
Michaelson linked to an article by Yashar Ali at HuffPost about “Barbara Fedida, a powerful ABC News executive, [who allegely] has an extensive history of insensitive comments.” Fedida is alleged to have made a reference to “pick[ing] cotton” while speaking to Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts, who is African American.
Fedida, who has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, said through her attorney: “Throughout my career, I have been a champion for increased diversity in network news.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, is available for pre-order. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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