Glenn Austin @ WKRG Fired?

[Diamonique]

Anyone know why Glenn Austin was fired from WKRG in Mobile, AL?

I turned the channel and when I flipped back to their news, Mel was at the tail end of telling the viewers that Glenn had been fired.........

[adam & doctor drew]

a station announced on air that an employee had been fired?
never seen that before..

[Diamonique]

Well he didn't say "fired", he used the term "let go"; either way Glenn no longer works there......

[justasking]

WKRG Addresses Instance Of Plagiarism
Dan Cates , WKRG News Director
News 5
Tuesday, January 30, 2007

WKRG has an unfortunate story to report. News 5 is dealing with an instance of plagiarism. Due to a breach of ethics, a story about Santa Rosa County banning sex offenders in public parks was posted to wkrg.com. The story was written by an outside source but was not properly credited on our website. When News 5 recognized the plagiarism, we took immediate action to not only address the issue, but to make sure it doesn't happen again. WKRG and its parent company Media General, has zero tolerance for plagiarism. As a result, reporter Glenn Austin is no longer employed with the station. Our job is to report the news accurately and honestly, and give proper credit when we rely on outside sources. We apologize to our viewers and to our users of wkrg.com.

This story can be found at: http://www.wkrg.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WKRG/MGArticle/KRG_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192939700

[The Mockingbird]

Something about that smells funny.

[Chief]

Wow. Someone was fired for stealing a story out of the paper? When I worked in print I could have gotten a few tv reporters fired. Not only used my stories as source material, but used lines word for word.

This is nothing new, but the firing, that's surprising.

[Paper Trail]

WKRG alleges plagiarism; journalist denies charge
Thursday, February 01, 2007
By MIKE BRANTLEY
TV & Media Editor (http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/117032525768660.xml&coll=3)

WKRG-TV5 on Tuesday fired news reporter Glenn Austin, an award-winning veteran of the Channel 5 news team, in a matter that station management said involved an instance of plagiarism.

During the Mobile CBS affiliate's 10 p.m. newscast Tuesday, WKRG told its viewers that because of a breach of ethics, a news article about Santa Rosa County, Fla., banning sex offenders in public parks was posted on the station's Web site without properly crediting its source.

The article was authored by the Pensacola News Journal and published on the newspaper's Web site, according to WKRG management.

"WKRG and its parent company, Media General, has zero tolerance for plagiarism," wrote WKRG news director Dan Cates in a statement on the matter that was read on the air by news anchor Mel Showers and posted to www.wkrg.com. (http://www.wkrg.com.) "As a result, reporter Glenn Austin is no longer employed with the station."

Austin on Wednesday denied having committed plagiarism. He told the Press-Register that he did not post the News Journal article on the WRKG Web site and made no claim to its authorship.

"I'm being accused of something that I didn't do, and it's just a shame that it happened like that," said Austin, who was employed by WKRG for 12 years. "I didn't do what they said I did."

Austin said he noticed the News Journal article Jan. 25 on the newspaper's Web site and copied it via e-mail to colleagues at the station, including the news director and assignment editor.

"It's common practice in a newsroom to look around the Internet, the AP wire copy and other online sources and things of that nature and see what's out there and see maybe if you missed something that day," Austin said. "We do it all the time in the newsroom. They do it in other newsrooms.

"Somebody in the newsroom took the initial e-mail and posted it on the Web site for a few minutes. Once they realized the mistake had been made, they took it down. Because my name was attached to it, I am getting the blame."

But Cates said Austin, without properly crediting the source, put the news article into the content pipeline to be published on the WKRG Web site.

"Unfortunately, the story was copied verbatim from an outside Web site," Cates told the Press-Register Wednesday. "A conscious decision was made to delete the writer's byline. The story with the deleted byline was sent to an e-mail folder we use for material that is ready for publication, not for general information among staff."

Richard Schneider, executive editor of the Pensacola News Journal, said the newspaper is satisfied with the outcome.

"The TV station did call us and told us that this had happened, so that's a good thing," Schneider said. "How they handle it is an internal issue....From our standpoint, we feel they have done the right thing."

Austin recently won regional Edward R. Murrow and Emmy awards for his work at WKRG covering 2005's Hurricane Katrina and reporting on the 2006 hurricane season. He said his primary duties in recent years have been covering general assignment news stories in Mobile and Baldwin counties and covering education.

"This is a job I love doing," Austin said. "If I could do it again at another station, then I'm hoping that would happen."

[The Mockingbird]

What this sounds like is a way to let their most expensive reporter go, and replace him with a recent college grad.

[Clever Login Name]

Ayup.

Sounds like a pretty thin charge, and more like an honest mistake or overreaction by somebody in the management chain. What in this guy's professional past would suggest that he's prone to plagiarism? And how shaky is that 'pipeline' if things just get pushed through for posting to the website without a few sets of eyes checking it out first?

[The Mockingbird]

Eyes checking an update for the website? Not many in markets below 50.

[Clever Login Name]

True. From what the article says, it sounds more like management is trying to cover for their own faulty processes which result in things like this happening ... if I were Austin, and if everything he says is true, I'd take them to court for wrongful termination and lay bare the whole shoddy framework.

[The Mockingbird]

I saw some of his work on the internets. Nothing amazing, honestly, but it looked like he was a professional.

[Flash Frame]

Originally posted by The Mockingbird:
What this sounds like is a way to let their most expensive reporter go, and replace him with a recent college grad.Most expensive reporter? You've never been to Mobile, have you?!

[The Fedora]

this sounds silly.

we send stuff like that in our newsroom all the time, it is the responsibility of person who runs the website to not post stuff like that.

I am sure that the reporter simply clicked on "WKRG Newsroom" when he sent the email and the person who runs the station website just copied it onto the site. Our guy would never do that, ever.

[Roy Hobbs]

Sounds like the typical trumped up charge to let go of someone who is a thorn in the side, for whatever shallow management reason.

[ February 01, 2007, 06:54 PM: Message edited by: Roy Hobbs ]

[pleasestandby]

When Glenn worked at WSPA the DA had a news conference after a rape in a nuring home. In his prepared remarks, the DA kept talking about the "ombudsman" and what he did in the case. First question from Austin: So who is this Leon Budsman?

[pleasestandby]

Too early in the morning....should say NURSING home.

[Chief]

Originally posted by pleasestandby:
When Glenn worked at WSPA the DA had a news conference after a rape in a nuring home. In his prepared remarks, the DA kept talking about the "ombudsman" and what he did in the case. First question from Austin: So who is this Leon Budsman?If you don't know, ask. I'm okay with that.
He'll never forget. Neither will you.

[Spike]

I'm less concerned that they fired him under a trumped up charge and more concerned that they seem to be trying to tarnish his reputation. They announced it on the air, using his name? They're giving interviews about him to newspapers? They seem to be just daring him to file a slander and libel suit. I doubt it would be too hard to convince a jury that the big bad company was trying to railroad an employee whose only real offense was making too high a salary, while also trying to ruin his reputation so that he couldn't get hired by the competition.

If they really needed to get rid of him, then sure, get rid of him. But to go to such lengths to badmouth him is out of line.

[The Mockingbird]

Here's what it sounds like to me (speculation involved):

MS station (which I'm sure has lovely pay), saddles on extra assignments to employees who are already doing ridiculous amounts of work, including website updates.

Austin was in a rush to get all his work done and go home, did a half-assed web update, maybe from a story idea that he forgot to attribute.

Station, which doesn't like Austin, cans him.

That's my theory, anyway.

[Fake Post]

Originally posted by The Mockingbird:
Something about that smells funny.It always smells funny when you let one go.

http://www.jokesandhumor.com/jokes/pictures/fart.jpg

[DoneThatToo]

Originally posted by The Mockingbird:
Here's what it sounds like to me (speculation involved):

MS station (which I'm sure has lovely pay), saddles on extra assignments to employees who are already doing ridiculous amounts of work, including website updates.

Austin was in a rush to get all his work done and go home, did a half-assed web update, maybe from a story idea that he forgot to attribute.

Station, which doesn't like Austin, cans him.

That's my theory, anyway.WKRG is an Alabama station. And, with what 12 years at the station, Glenn would have come in right around when Spartan bought the station (which turned it around to Media General pretty quick) so his starting pay those many years ago could very well have been one of the better scales in the market.

Glenn is a good guy and I don't see him as having done this on purpose. I also don't believe he was on a 'hit list' with station management due to pay. Given the length of time he has been there his contract would have to have been renewed many times. As we all know the station could always have not renewed with out any legal ramifications at all if they were looking to shed some dollar weight.

Best of luck to you Glenn. I hope everything works out BETTER then you had. One door closes another opens and all that . . .
graemlins/icon_kidra.gif

[Diamonique]

Wow I didn't expect all the responses, they are interesting to read though..... smile.gif

[Diamonique]

sorry accidentally double posted.....this day just gets better and better..... graemlins/eusa_shifty.gif

[ February 02, 2007, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Diamonique ]

[trunky]

"Somebody in the newsroom took the initial e-mail and posted it on the Web site for a few minutes. Once they realized the mistake had been made, they took it down. Because my name was attached to it, I am getting the blame."
Wow, that sucks.

And I'd agree that whomever is most responsible for web content, is responsible for publishing the story without attribution. Really, whoever hit "send" or "post" or "go" is responsible. I mean, if someone threw some pron in the "web story bin" is it okay if some dude just throws it up on the web because it's "ready for posting?"

[Spike]

Originally posted by DoneThatToo:
As we all know the station could always have not renewed with out any legal ramifications at all if they were looking to shed some dollar weight.Yes, but if they had simply not renewed his contract, and he's really as good and experienced as everyone says, there would be a good chance that he would show up on the air working for one of their competitors.

Normally a station would not say much about something like this, instead sticking to a "no comment" and citing "private personnel issues." It certainly is unusual to badmouth an employee on the air and to give interviews about an employee to the newspaper. It's even more unusual to do something like that when the people at the newspaper that was allegedly plagiarized didn't even know about it until the station brought it to their attention.

It really does look like they were out to get him, not only to get him out of the station but to destroy his reputation in the market so that he couldn't compete against them either. Managers don't go after someone like this unless they are afraid of him.

Who knows why they really fired him. But the rest of the circumstances really don't pass the smell test.

[The Mockingbird]

Oops, an AL station. I had MS in my head for some reason.

It's EXTREMELY unusual to make an announcement why you fired someone. I've never heard of that happening, except in cases where someone was arrested for a criminal offense and it was reported on another media outlet.

Someone leaves the station, the invariable response is "We can't discuss personnel issues".

What I'd like to know is whether Alabama is a Right to Work state or not.

[Roy Hobbs]

Originally posted by Spike:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by DoneThatToo:
[qb]As we all know the station could always have not renewed with out any legal ramifications at all if they were looking to shed some dollar weight.Yes, but if they had simply not renewed his contract, and he's really as good and experienced as everyone says, there would be a good chance that he would show up on the air working for one of their competitors.
QB]</font>[/QUOTE](Cough, cough, choke)

Um sorry, you said the two obscene words..."good" and "experienced."

All the ND's just ran screaming from the room.

[Spike]

Originally posted by Roy Hobbs:
(Cough, cough, choke)

Um sorry, you said the two obscene words..."good" and "experienced."

All the ND's just ran screaming from the room.They don't go screaming from the room when they think they can get "good" and "experienced" at a bargain. Suppose WKRG had just let his contract expire. Here's this guy, with a good reputation, out of work. You know that the other NDs would be thinking, "I wonder if he's feeling desperate enough that we could get him cheap." Then somebody offers him $5K or $10K less than he was making, rationalizing that Hey, what ELSE is he going to do?

WKRG doesn't want him, but they don't want anybody else to have him either. So they sneeze on the cookie so nobody else will eat it. I hope he's talking this all out with a lawyer.

[Flash Frame]

Originally posted by Spike:
[QB
WKRG doesn't want him, but they don't want anybody else to have him either. So they sneeze on the cookie so nobody else will eat it. I hope he's talking this all out with a lawyer.[/QB]They let him out of his non-compete, so that's not an issue.

[Spike]

Originally posted by Flash Frame:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Spike:
[QB
WKRG doesn't want him, but they don't want anybody else to have him either. So they sneeze on the cookie so nobody else will eat it. I hope he's talking this all out with a lawyer.They let him out of his non-compete, so that's not an issue.[/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]They likely let him out of his noncompete because it wouldn't have been enforceable. I believe Alabama judges usually come down on the side of the worker in these cases, so that a company can't fire someone and then also prevent him from working.

It looks like they did the next best thing, instead. They spit on the cookie. They said, "We've lifted the restriction against eating this cookie, so you can have it if you really want. But you probably don't want it, because we spit on it."

[Roy Hobbs]

Cookie or no cookie, I hope he's able to find something in that market.

Because if he tries anywhere else, and follows up on who gets the job instead, he'll find they all are recent graduates and/or look like this:

http://assets.bengals.com/assets/cheerleaders/ben-gals06_528w.jpg

Experience is a curse.

[Another side]

Originally posted by The Mockingbird:
Oops, an AL station. I had MS in my head for some reason.

It's EXTREMELY unusual to make an announcement why you fired someone. I've never heard of that happening, except in cases where someone was arrested for a criminal offense and it was reported on another media outlet.

Someone leaves the station, the invariable response is "We can't discuss personnel issues".

What I'd like to know is whether Alabama is a Right to Work state or not.Yes ... Alabama is a right-to-work state.

I, too, find it interesting station management chose to comment publically. It's a chancy proposition, and I wouldn't think management would do it unless it believed there was no fear of reprisal from Austin.

And if -- IF -- that's true, then its possible that no amount of union dues or affilliations could wash away the sins Austin might have committed.

I know it goes against the grain to say this around here but corporate lawyers are not stupid, at lest not in the area of law. They're wrong at times, but not stupid.

And my hunch is the decision to comment publically was ran across their desks before the local GM was allowed to utter one word.

[Sultanosurf]

IF he has a non-compete clause, he's screwed.

And IF things went down as relayed above, God this business sucks sometimes. Hell should have a special spot for some managers...

[Paper Trail]

Station accepts Austin's word that no plagiarism was intended

By MIKE BRANTLEY TV & Media Editor (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/1205226957297570.xml&coll=3)

A lawsuit against WKRG-TV5 by a former reporter who was fired in 2007 over an allegation of plagiarism has been resolved.

Glenn Austin, who was a reporter at WKRG for 12 years, has maintained since his Jan. 30, 2007, termination that he did not commit plagiarism.

Now, his former employer has publicly accepted his word on the matter.

"After further investigation," the CBS affiliate said in a statement read on the air and posted on the www.wkrg.com Web site during the weekend, "WKRG accepts Austin's position that there was no intent to commit plagiarism."

The statement was read by weekend news anchor Kimberly Curth almost halfway into WKRG's 10 p.m. Saturday newscast. It was available online Sunday, and WKRG news director Dan Cates was listed as its author.

Austin said Monday that the statement by WKRG -- he called it "a retraction" -- was required by the settlement agreement between him and the TV station.

The settlement stipulated that WKRG's statement would remain on the station's Web site for 24 hours, Austin said.

It was not present on the site Monday.

Neither Austin nor his attorneys would discuss financial details of the settlement.

The station's general manager, Joe Goleniowski, declined to comment on the matter when contacted Monday.

Austin's lawsuit, filed in Mobile County Circuit Court, said the CBS affiliate and its managers slandered him with false accusations. The suit sought punitive damages but did not specify a dollar amount.

"It was never about the money. It was about restoring my name," said Austin, who is now employed as a spokesman for the Escambia County, Fla., Sheriff's Office. "Now that WKRG has run their statement on the air, I feel fully vindicated."

Austin added, "I never, ever committed plagiarism. I've been in the news business 27 years, and during that time, my whole career has been dedicated to telling the truth."

In January 2007, Cates told the Press-Register that Austin took a news article from the Pensacola News Journal and, without crediting the newspaper, submitted the article for publication on the station's Web site.

At the time, the news director issued a statement on the air and at www.wkrg.com about Austin's termination.

"WKRG and its parent company, Media General, has zero tolerance for plagiarism," Cates said in the statement that was read on the air by anchor Mel Showers on Jan. 30, 2007. "As a result, reporter Glenn Austin is no longer employed with the station."

During that newscast, the station told its viewers that a news article about Santa Rosa County, Fla., banning sex offenders in public parks was posted on the station's Web site without properly crediting the Pensacola News Journal. The station described the error as a breach of ethics.

Austin said he did not post the News Journal article on the WKRG Web site and made no claim to its authorship.

He said he noticed the article Jan. 25, 2007, on the newspaper's Web site and copied it via e-mail to colleagues at the station, including the news director and assignment editor. He said that he disseminated the news article among WKRG staff members to make them aware of the news developments.

According to the lawsuit, the news item was posted on the WKRG Web site without Austin's knowledge under a byline crediting Austin with the story. The story remained on the WKRG site for about seven minutes.

Austin said the accusation of plagiarism prevented him from finding another job as a television reporter.

"I called dozens and dozens of TV stations," Austin said. "I'm telling you, it was either the first or second thing that was brought up. I didn't bring it up. They brought it up."

Austin won regional Edward R. Murrow and Emmy awards for his work covering 2005's Hurricane Katrina and reporting on the 2006 hurricane season.

[Newzie52]

This whole thing was a travesty. I know some folks in that market and they were all appalled. The ND had it in for him and jumped on a brief, very human error that wasn't even totally his fault. (The other employee involved quit in disgust.) Ironically, I hear that he's been all over everyone's air in his present job as a very visible spokesman. WKRG tried to keep the settlement quiet, but it landed on the front page today. Hope the ND loses his job, but I doubt it...

[Roy Hobbs]

The way these things usually work is the ND is backed to the hilt against the victimized reporter...until station money goes out the door as a result of the news director's egregious actions.

What goes around comes around...and generally from the back.

And the rats in the sinking ship that ganged up on the victim then turn on each other and the ND when their actions begin to see the light of day.

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant."
- Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

[Newzie52]

The way these things usually work is the ND is backed to the hilt against the victimized reporter...until station money goes out the door as a result of the news director's egregious actions.

What goes around comes around...and generally from the back.

And the rats in the sinking ship that ganged up on the victim then turn on each other and the ND when their actions begin to see the light of day.

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant."
- Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

We can only hope! That particular shop is a most unhappy one these days; former strong #1 but dropped like a rock. The ND will get his, one way or another.

[Roy Hobbs]

Ah yes...the long walk to the GM's office...Mr. Ben Dover.

http://www.cinetudes.com/photo/560523-684251.jpg

"Nice to meet ya Ben!"--Fletch

[Newzie52]

I've just heard from my good friend in that market that Media General is pretty ticked off at WKRG and that things will start getting interesting. Looks as if what goes around may, indeed, soon come around.

[stuckinmidwest]

We can only hope! That particular shop is a most unhappy one these days; former strong #1 but dropped like a rock. The ND will get his, one way or another.

Sad to hear. My first job in news was at this station, and it was a pretty good place to work back then. In fact, all other newsrooms I worked in after paled by comparision.

[Newzie52]

Sad to hear. My first job in news was at this station, and it was a pretty good place to work back then. In fact, all other newsrooms I worked in after paled by comparision.

What era was that? (Big changes since it was family owned, down there on St. Louis Street...) I know it was dominant in the late 70's, early 80s (Bob Grip, Glenda Webb, Jack Drees, Curt Fonger...) and for quite a while after.

I wonder how long "Mr. Mel" will stick around???

Just sad...

[DoneThatToo]

What era was that? (Big changes since it was family owned, down there on St. Louis Street...) I know it was dominant in the late 70's, early 80s (Bob Grip, Glenda Webb, Jack Drees, Curt Fonger...) and for quite a while after.

I wonder how long "Mr. Mel" will stick around???

Just sad...

All the fun was taken out once 'The Family' sold to a group that sounds a lot like Satan prior to MG buying out that group. So up until late '90s it was one of the better stations you could work for, IMHO.

[Newzie52]

All the fun was taken out once 'The Family' sold to a group that sounds a lot like Satan prior to MG buying out that group. So up until late '90s it was one of the better stations you could work for, IMHO.

Unfortunately, it seems that many groups "sound a lot like Satan" these days...all too familiar with that.

I'm just glad that Glenn got some semblance of justice, at least.

[stuckinmidwest]

What era was that? (Big changes since it was family owned, down there on St. Louis Street...) I know it was dominant in the late 70's, early 80s (Bob Grip, Glenda Webb, Jack Drees, Curt Fonger...) and for quite a while after.

I wonder how long "Mr. Mel" will stick around???

Just sad...

I was there in the early 90's, and it was a fun place to work for the most part.

I don't think anyone I worked with then is still there... except Mel!

[The Fedora]

I wonder if anyone has video of the statement being read and has posted it online somewhere like youtube...

be nice to see it.

[Roy Hobbs]

Yeah, it'd be nice to see pigs fly, too.
http://graphics.boston.com/images/bostondirtdogs//Headline_Archives/pigs_fly.jpg

[The Fedora]

nice...

that is pretty funny.