The National Association of Black Journalists said it is “saddened” by the firing of a Louisiana meteorologist who responded to an offensive Facebook posting on her TV station’s website.
Lee on CNN this week. |
The station, KTBS of Shreveport, La., axed the staffer, Rhonda Lee, for violating a company policy against responding to viewer complaints on the station’s Facebook page
A viewer commented on the station’s page that “the black lady that does the news is a very nice lady. the onlt [sic] thing is she needs to wear a wig or grow some more hair. im not sure if she is a cancer patient. but still its not something myself that i think looks good on tv."
Lee said when the station didn’t respond for days she did, writing that she is “proud of my African-American ancestry which includes my hair.”
“We encourage media companies to protect employees on official social media platforms that are used to engage news consumers,” the NABJ said in a statement. “We urge managers to be more sensitive to social media comments and attacks on their employees. …What happened to Lee is disturbing. Although the nation continues to become more diverse, biases based on race, ethnicity, gender and culture persist in newsrooms.”
Both NABJ and Lee in media appearances mentioned Wisconsin news anchor Jennifer Livingston, who garnered national support earlier this year when she responded to a viewer who criticized her weight.
“I feel like I was being punished for defending myself," Lee told CNN. “Whereas other people are given platforms, I was given a pink slip instead."