In today’s rapidly changing society, Internet norms are being introduced daily and social media sites are flourishing with new account members and praise from around the globe. However, after a racially offensive Facebook post from a Pittsburgh anchorwoman left thousands speechless, individuals are wondering how far can professionals go before crossing a line of Internet correctness.
Anchorwoman Wendy Bell of WTAE was fired last week after she used her Facebook privileges to further speculate a news story involving the racial identities of two African American men who fatally shot six people in an ambush shooting in early March. The two suspects, who are still at large, were subject to racial stereotyping, as Bell’s Facebook post demonstrated.
In regards to the suspects, she wrote, “They are young black men, likely teens or in their early 20s, They have multiple siblings from multiple fathers and their mothers work multiple jobs. These boys have been in the system before. They’ve grown up there. They know the police. They’ve been arrested. They’ve made the circuit and nothing has scared them enough.”
Bell went on in the Facebook post to try and lighten the situation by telling a story regarding a very competent restaurant employee who was African American. Many saw this part of the post as derogatory, as if the first part blatantly stereotyping the suspects was not enough to get her point across.
After WTAE News found out about this status, they ended their relationship with Bell and thus stirred up conflict among Bell and her supporters. She stated that the company had not given her a “fair shake” since she has worked for WTAE since 1998 and some followers are disapproving of her dismissal, stating that she was being honest and taking the means of her job to an outside field.
However, the question remains, did she as a professional anchorwoman have the right to speak on behalf of her own beliefs under an account that is affiliated with the company? Are journalists held to a different standard in order to be impartial on the news stories that they deliver?
Whichever stance people may take, she shared the Facebook post with the original intent of sharing her voice in the matter in her own words, something she cannot necessarily do on air without immediate backlash. But, the other side may argue that she as a professional must understand she has to remain impartial and refrain from speaking out because of her responsibilities.
Journalists and news anchors have a different type of ethic responsibility that gives them a sense of power. In Bell’s situation, she spoke out on what she thought was s personal belief, but in turn did offend a large amount of people. In the field of news and journalism, especially when working for a large company such as a television news organization, individuals must remain professional for the sake of their company because that is their job and that is what all employees must follow, no matter what the profession. Yes, as an individual she has the right to post whatever she feels, but she must adhere to the strict field of guidelines that comes at a high price of being a journalist in today’s society.
