WJZ red-faced over blackface story

[Paper Trail]

By Nick Madigan
Sun Reporter (http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-to.tv05dec05,0,5161367.story?coll=bal-artslife-tv)

Only two weeks after unleashing a racially offensive tirade at a West Hollywood comedy club, actor Michael Richards appeared in blackface at a celebrity roast for Whoopi Goldberg over the weekend, drawing gasps from the audience, according to WJZ-TV, Channel 13, the CBS affiliate in Baltimore.

Except that he didn't.

WJZ's story, broadcast at least twice yesterday afternoon in breaking-news style by anchor Sally Thorner, was attributed to DatelineHollywood.com. But WJZ's news department was apparently unaware that every story on the Web site satirizes Hollywood.

"It should not have aired," Gail Bending, WJZ's news director, said after being alerted by a colleague to the story's lack of foundation and the site's cheerful irreverence for the truth. Bending said the producer who proposed the story did not verify its accuracy. The station planned to run a correction during its 11 p.m. newscast.

Some of the "facts" in the Web site's story might have been a tip-off to their falsity. The story quoted an attendee of the supposed roast, Stephen Mawrs, as saying that Richards, after appearing from behind a curtain in blackface, "took out a bottle of Aunt Jemima syrup and poured it over Whoopi's head."

Richards "then started doing this 'Mammy' song," Mawrs said, according to the story. "It was just really uncomfortable. But to his credit, Michael never once lost his cool."

Richards' publicist, Howard Rubenstein, was then "quoted" as saying, "It's very sad to see Michael say those nasty things at a comedy club and then show up in blackface and offend nearly everyone."

Another story on the site reported that George Clooney and Danny DeVito "woke up naked together in bed last Wednesday, unsure whether they had a sexual encounter after a brutal night of drinking."

Richards, who played Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, has expressed remorse for his Nov. 17 outburst at the comedy club.

The Web site identifies itself as having been founded in 360 B.C. as Gladiators Weekly "to cover the booming entertainment industry in the coliseums of ancient Rome."

[Clever Login Name]

Tough time to lose your job. Which is exactly what should happen to that producer.

[kgsl]

How can experienced (one would think) producers and anchors in a market like Baltimore not question how this story would have been missed by EVERYONE else?
Michael Richards is such a hot topic right now, that it's news if he sneezes. Had this incident really happened, it would have been everywhere within hours.
Did WJZ really think they had lucked across an obscure website and NOBODY ELSE in Hollywood had picked up this story?

[Diplomat]

Originally posted by Clever Login Name:
Tough time to lose your job. Which is exactly what should happen to that producer.Yup.

[Stack It]

Holy cow. How did this slip through? It makes me wonder how times this has happened before with WJZ? That's at least one career that's on the rocks for a while. Good to see the anchor DIDN'T QUESTION THE STORY! Come on people, somebody should have caught this. However, it ultimately falls back on the person who made the choice to not only put it in the newscast, but to run it. That would be our show stacker.

[SpxGrunt]

I'm sure the producer can find another part-time job while she finishes college. :rolleyes:

[Michigan J. Frog]

No one bothers to check anything anymore, do they?

[cinehead]

That is probably the funniest thing I've read in a long time.

[The Mockingbird]

This is why you don't rip crap off of the internets for your show.

[ISTHISTHINGON?]

Me thinks more than one person should take the heat on this one....I mean, a story with that detail should have more than one eye approve.

[adam & doctor drew]

so an anchor just read what was on the prompter with no thought given to the subject matter or accuracy of it?

SHOCKING.

[TVMattNYC]

EVERYONE with ANY editorial control over BOTH shows that aired this story needs to lose their jobs. PERIOD. Up to and including the anchors and News Director.

[adam & doctor drew]

totally agree.

I could ALMOST understand this if it happened at night, or on the weekend, with no managers around.
it still wouldn't excuse it but I could see how it would happen.

but the story said: "WJZ's story, broadcast at least twice yesterday afternoon in breaking-news style...," which leads me to believe that managers WERE there.

although I'm guessing they will now claim they weren't.

[JoinUsForCake]

Let me get this straight...

A BALTIMORE station runs this as "breaking news" -- did they really think they "scooped" the Hollywood press?

And WHY would a news station run this in cut-in's anyhow? Is this local news or the E! Network?

Pathetic. Fire everyone.

[Produce man]

Note to self: Multiple job openings await in Baltimore...

[Moderate]

Originally posted by TVMattNYC:
EVERYONE with ANY editorial control over BOTH shows that aired this story needs to lose their jobs. PERIOD. Up to and including the anchors and News Director.That's extreme. No one in an editorial position verifies every story for themselves. That's why you hire people you trust. Obviously the producer should be in hot water -- but to fire the anchors and news director would be wrong. I'm still not clear how this story "came out" -- the article makes it sound like it was both pitched in a meeting AND a breaking news type insert into the cast. I'd like to know which it was before I start calling for heads to roll.

[SpxGrunt]

They should do a story on that African prince whose family was killed but he has all that money and will offer people a percentage if they'll just give him their bank account number. Moving stuff. Triumph from tragedy.

[foxravens]

Originally posted by Produce man:
Note to self: Multiple job openings await in Baltimore...PLEASE apply for one...seriously!

[Chief]

Originally posted by Moderate:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by TVMattNYC:
EVERYONE with ANY editorial control over BOTH shows that aired this story needs to lose their jobs. PERIOD. Up to and including the anchors and News Director.That's extreme. No one in an editorial position verifies every story for themselves. That's why you hire people you trust. Obviously the producer should be in hot water -- but to fire the anchors and news director would be wrong. I'm still not clear how this story "came out" -- the article makes it sound like it was both pitched in a meeting AND a breaking news type insert into the cast. I'd like to know which it was before I start calling for heads to roll.</font>[/QUOTE]Someone has to go. This is not an "oops" moment.
Someone made a news decision to go to air with a story that lived only on a a satirical website. Who knows? Someone probably recieved an email with the link from a viewer.

Terrible decision.

Should an anchor say, "did you check this out?" Absolutely. The anchor's credibility is on the line. The story is attributed in the script to datelinehollywood.com If that's not a red flag, I don't know what is. Ever heard of that website? Me neither. Red flag.

http://datelinehollywood.com/ here's the link. One look would have easily told anyone it was satire.

Someone has to be removed from the decision process. And some silly anchor needs to learn to ask obvious questions when pre-reading scripts.

[Paper Trail]

WJZ 13 Jobs (http://wjz.com/jobs/local_story_325143034.html)

Producer
POSITION:
Producer

AVAILABILITY:
A.S.A.P.

EDUCATION:
Bachelors Degree Preferred

QUALIFICATIONS:
At least 2 years News Producing experience. Strong writing skills; strong
content management. Understanding of editing, live satellite and
helicopter operations. Must exhibit sound news judgment and excellent
communication skills.

DUTIES:
Produce Newscasts; write for broadcast; develop story ideas.

MACHINES TO OPERATE:
iNews news computer system; personal computer; 2-way radio; edit equipment.

[TVMattNYC]

Originally posted by Moderate:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by TVMattNYC:
EVERYONE with ANY editorial control over BOTH shows that aired this story needs to lose their jobs. PERIOD. Up to and including the anchors and News Director.That's extreme. No one in an editorial position verifies every story for themselves. That's why you hire people you trust. Obviously the producer should be in hot water -- but to fire the anchors and news director would be wrong. I'm still not clear how this story "came out" -- the article makes it sound like it was both pitched in a meeting AND a breaking news type insert into the cast. I'd like to know which it was before I start calling for heads to roll.</font>[/QUOTE]Actually, that's not extreme in the least.

Most anchors I know (including myself, at one point) believe they weild (and often do) considerable, if not ultimate, editorial control. But when the sh!t hits the fan, these same anchors love to blame the producer, saying they're just reading what's on the prompter.

You can't have it both ways. If the anchors in this shop hold ANY degree of editorial control, their a$$es should be out the door faster than the producer's.

And the ND bears ultimate responsibility.

[Spike]

Originally posted by Wrapping Paper Trail:
WJZ 13 Jobs (http://wjz.com/jobs/local_story_325143034.html)

Producer
POSITION:
Producer

AVAILABILITY:
A.S.A.P.

EDUCATION:
Bachelors Degree Preferred

QUALIFICATIONS:
At least 2 years News Producing experience. Strong writing skills; strong
content management. Understanding of editing, live satellite and
helicopter operations. Must exhibit sound news judgment and excellent
communication skills.

DUTIES:
Produce Newscasts; write for broadcast; develop story ideas.

MACHINES TO OPERATE:
iNews news computer system; personal computer; 2-way radio; edit equipment.That's really funny, but that job was actually posted November 21.

[Spike]

Originally posted by foxravens:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Produce man:
Note to self: Multiple job openings await in Baltimore...PLEASE apply for one...seriously!</font>[/QUOTE]Hey Produce, he WANTS you.

[Sir Dropham Pants]

Originally posted by Wrapping Paper Trail:
WJZ 13 Jobs (http://wjz.com/jobs/local_story_325143034.html)

Producer
POSITION:
Producer

AVAILABILITY:
A.S.A.P.

EDUCATION:
Bachelors Degree Preferred

QUALIFICATIONS:
At least 2 years News Producing experience. Strong writing skills; strong
content management. Understanding of editing, live satellite and
helicopter operations. Must exhibit sound news judgment and excellent
communication skills.

DUTIES:
Produce Newscasts; write for broadcast; develop story ideas.

MACHINES TO OPERATE:
iNews news computer system; personal computer; 2-way radio; edit equipment.Secondary requirements: sense of humor, common sense, ability to recognize satire (optional).

[SpxGrunt]

Only 2 years experience? No wonder stuff like that gets on the air.

[Stack It]

Originally posted by Chief:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Moderate:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by TVMattNYC:
EVERYONE with ANY editorial control over BOTH shows that aired this story needs to lose their jobs. PERIOD. Up to and including the anchors and News Director.That's extreme. No one in an editorial position verifies every story for themselves. That's why you hire people you trust. Obviously the producer should be in hot water -- but to fire the anchors and news director would be wrong. I'm still not clear how this story "came out" -- the article makes it sound like it was both pitched in a meeting AND a breaking news type insert into the cast. I'd like to know which it was before I start calling for heads to roll.</font>[/QUOTE]Someone has to go. This is not an "oops" moment.
Someone made a news decision to go to air with a story that lived only on a a satirical website. Who knows? Someone probably recieved an email with the link from a viewer.

Terrible decision.

Should an anchor say, "did you check this out?" Absolutely. The anchor's credibility is on the line. The story is attributed in the script to datelinehollywood.com If that's not a red flag, I don't know what is. Ever heard of that website? Me neither. Red flag.

http://datelinehollywood.com/ here's the link. One look would have easily told anyone it was satire.

Someone has to be removed from the decision process. And some silly anchor needs to learn to ask obvious questions when pre-reading scripts.</font>[/QUOTE]Best post yet on this subject.

[Stack It]

Originally posted by SpxGrunt:
Only 2 years experience? No wonder stuff like that gets on the air.Young and cheap... you get what you pay for. No tears here for WJZ.

[TVMattNYC]

Originally posted by Stack It:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by SpxGrunt:
Only 2 years experience? No wonder stuff like that gets on the air.Young and cheap... you get what you pay for. No tears here for WJZ.</font>[/QUOTE]Indeed.

Sad.

Former Group W station, too. Used to be in a league of their own.

[Clubbeat]

Not sure of the details of that shop but this sounds very much like inexperience at work. If that's the case, then where's the checks & balances. Shouldn't several sets of eyes, including the person who has the final say-so on what makes it to air have caught this?

Lots of blame to go around on this one but the bottom line is several in the newsroom food chain blew it.

Too Bad... :(

[Stack It]

I'm not quite as harsh as Matt when it comes to punishment, but I think the producer should be fired, the anchor deserves to be suspended. I'm not sure what the management chain is, but some of those folks deserve similar fates.

[Clever Login Name]

I also have a real problem with WJZ characterizing the incident as a "hoax". Satire and parody are not hoaxes. Calling it a hoax is a lame attempt at trying to deflect some of the blame from themselves. Whoever okayed that 'correction' oughta get canned too.

[adam &amp; doctor drew]

totally agree.

a hoax is something actively perpetrated on the hoaxee by the hoaxer.

unless I'm wrong, I don't think datelinehollywood.com hacked into WJZ's system, secretly dropped that into the prompter and forced the anchor to read it.

failing to realize a joke website is a joke website isn't the fault of the website.
it's the fault of the person, or in this case the station, that was too stupid to realize it.

[kgsl]

Now 72+ hours since this. Anyone know what the fallout has been?
Firings? Suspensions? Finger-pointing?

[newhouse]

Let's see...
Some of the headlines on this website today are
"Friends and Family Stage Panty Intervention for Britney Spears", "Paltrow confirmed as Al Qaeda's No. 2", and "Ian Ziering sold for $150 at Tori Spelling Garage Sale."

Seems credible enough for me ....