Four fired at TV station over controversial Pride Month memo

A Michigan TV station has fired four employees over a leaked memo telling journalists to limit their Pride Month coverage and to “get both sides” when covering LGBTQ+ issues.

Late last week, Nextstar Media Group fired WOOD-TV news director Stanton Tang and assistant news director Amy Fox after a weeks-long investigation into the memo, which leaked last month. The company, the largest operator of local TV stations in the country, also fired two journalists it accused of leaking the memo, according to The Desk.

Related:

Newsroom staff revolts against managers who told them to cover fewer pride events

“The guidance is not being followed,” wrote one executive producer.

As CNN reported last month, news staff at WOOD-TV — a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based NBC affiliate — received the memo on June 13. Reportedly written by Fox at Tang’s behest, the memo noted that conservative viewers were “not happy to see” the station’s Pride-related stories.

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

“We should not cover every Pride event that we learn about,” it continued. “We need to do some work to discern the newsworthy-ness of the event. If we are covering Pride events, we need to consider how to make the story balanced and get both sides of the issue.”

Sources at the station told CNN that employees responded to the memo via email expressing their disapproval. On Twitter, WOOD-TV executive producer Luke Stier wrote that the memo “was met with immediate pushback from our newsroom.” Stier noted that the guidance was not being followed and that the two people involved in its creation had been removed from discussions around the station’s Pride Month coverage.

This memo was met with immediate pushback from our newsroom. The guidance is not being followed.

The only two people involved in its creation have been removed from any discussions surrounding @WOODTV Pride coverage as our corporation conducts a thorough investigation. https://t.co/8S9EZ8qC73

— Luke Stier (@LukeStier) June 15, 2023

“Our newsroom immediately stood up to the 2 managers who wrote a memo mandating that we cover ‘the other side’ of Pride events: essentially requiring us to give equal time to hate and discrimination,” WOOD-TV anchor Michele DeSelms tweeted in response to Stier’s post on June 15. “We said no, and will continue to fight for our LGBTQ colleagues, family members.”

Our newsroom immediately stood up to the 2 managers who wrote a memo mandating that we cover “the other side” of Pride events: essentially requiring us to give equal time to hate and discrimination. We said no, and will continue to fight for our LGBTQ colleagues, family members https://t.co/HFxUcjP6gJ

— Michele DeSelms💕🎤🏃🏻‍♀️ (@MicheleDeSelms) June 15, 2023

In a statement, Nextstar said that the company was “looking into the situation at WOOD-TV, as the communication regarding the station’s coverage of PRIDE month activities in the area is not consistent with Nexstar’s values, the way we cover the news, or the respect we have for our viewers.” The company also apologized “for offending members of the LGBTQ community and WOOD-TV’s viewers.”

According to The Desk, Tang faced pressure from within the newsroom to resign following the memo. WOOD-TV journalists also accused Tang of making editorial decisions based on his personal political views, which reportedly skewed toward the conservative and even conspiratorial, and said that his behavior created a “toxic atmosphere” at the station.

Following Nextstar’s investigation, Stier and fellow executive producer Madeline Odle were both fired alongside Tang and Fox on suspicion that they were responsible for leaking the memo to media blogger Scott Jones. WOOD-TV employees reportedly accused Nextstar of focusing more on finding the source of the leak than on the memo itself, and viewed Stier and Odle’s dismissals as intended to have a chilling effect on future leaks.

In a joint statement posted to Twitter, Odle and Stier said they were “heartbroken” and that they had been informed that the non-compete clauses in their contracts remained in effect, making it difficult for them to find work.

pic.twitter.com/Ny47jdUCbA

— Madeline Odle (@MadelineOdleTV) June 30, 2023

On Twitter, Michigan state Rep. Phil Skaggs (D) criticized Tang for twisting the news to fit his political ideology, and commended “the bravery of the WOOD-TV journalists who insisted on doing their work with integrity and supported the dignity of LGBTQ+ members of our community.”

Skaggs also commended Nextstar Media for firing Tang and Fox, but criticized the company for dismissing Stier and Odle. “The termination of journalists, simply because they wanted to inform us about the diverse human interests of our community cannot stand,” he wrote, calling on Nextstar to reinstate Stier and Odle.

My statement on yesterday's firings at WOOD-TV:

I’ve always worked to end discrimination against our LGBTQ+ neighbors so everyone feels welcome in Michigan. In journalism and everywhere, there is no place for discriminating against anyone. 🧵1/6https://t.co/vOn5iWJGnb. .

— Phil Skaggs (@philipskaggs) June 30, 2023

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