News Anchors Stun Audience & Resign Live On-Air: Told to Do ‘Unbalanced News, Politically’
By: Nov. 21, 2012 12:03pm
Two Maine news anchors resigned
together at the end of Tuesday’s broadcast after “a longstanding battle
with upper management over journalistic practices” including being
expected to do politically unbalanced news, the Bangor Daily News reported.
Cindy Michaels and Tony Consiglio
announced at the end of WVII-TV’s 6 p.m. newscast that it would be their
final broadcast together.
“And finally tonight, this will be Tony
and my final show together here on ABC 7,” Michaels said. “The last six
years have been an interesting and enjoyable time for both of us as we
have been the longest running news team in Bangor.”
Consiglio said “some recent
developments have come to our attention though and departing together is
the best alternative we can take.”
The Daily News reported both anchors were frustrated with the way they were told to do their jobs.
“I just wanted to know that I was doing
the best job I could and was being honest and ethical as a journalist,
and I thought there were times when I wasn’t able to do that,” Consiglio
said.
Michaels, also the station’s news
director, cited a “constant disrespecting and belittling of staff” and
“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.”
She also said they were “expected to do
somewhat unbalanced news, politically.” Neither one said which
political leaning that was.
Mike Palmer, WVII/WFVX vice president
and general manager, told the newspaper he wasn’t entirely surprised by
the resignations, calling it “unfortunate, but not unexpected.” Still,
he disputed the characterizations of management’s role in the newsroom.
“Upper management is not involved in the daily production of the news. Period,” he said.
Neither reporter told anyone prior to the broadcast they were planning to resign.
“We figured if we had tendered our
resignations off the air, we would not have been allowed to say goodbye
to the community on the air and that was really important for us to do
that,” Michaels said.
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