Wendy Bell sues WTAE for racial discrimination (Pittsburgh, Media: camp, price)

[Salmonburgher]

Originally Posted by gladhands

I just took a stroll through your posting history. In the first three pages, the majority of your replies are about bashing Muslims , limiting immigration, and defending someone accused of racism in this thread. You have also defended George Zimmerman and the continued use of "orientals" to describe Asians. I have no reason to believe you are anything other than what you've shown yourself to be. You may have some deep, abiding concern for minorities, but you haven't shown it here.

Bashing Muslims and limiting immigration does not equal racism.

Look racism up in the dictionary! I'm certain I am correct.

Yes, I do point out when people misuse the term racist. Its a tiresome and unintelligent accusation when alleged incorrectly.

I did not so much defend George Zimmerman as I did defend our criminal justice system for not convicting him. Not my problem if that distinction is beyond your grasp.

You also misread my comments regarding the use of the term "orientals" to describe Asians. I've been living in Asia for most of my life and Asians on this side of the planet refer to themselves using the equivalent of whatever Asian language they speak as "orientals".

So, no, you do not seem to understand what the term racism means and you obviously have difficulty reading and understanding plain English.

Perhaps English is not your first language?

Anyway, are you going to deflect from the issues at hand by calling me a racist, or will you attempt in good faith to engage in conversation?

I know its difficult! You actually need to give others the benefit of the doubt, even as the same swirl around your precious head!

[LiaLia]

Wendy Bell -- when I look at her pictures I keep getting reminded of a former co-worker of mine who is a black woman who passed for white for a very long time, until she gave it up.

[Salmonburgher]

Originally Posted by Merge

I think that the Bell-supporters in this thread are missing the fact that there are a significant amount of people who wanted Wendy Bell gone not for any excessive racism, but rather because she is tone-deaf to, and ignorant about, her own behaviors that erode the confidence and ability of her audience to trust anything she says.

Ah, moving the goalposts!

I understand that WB won multiple and numerous awards for her reporting. Doesn't seem that WTAE had real cause to question competence. Certainly not sufficient to justify terminating her employment?

Originally Posted by Merge

This, I believe, is what WTAE finally realized about her... and they decided to part ways with her over her lack of journalistic sense (which is pretty much what they announced when they fired her).

So, who gave WB all those awards for reporting? The KKK?

Nah! I'm joking! Its not the KKK!

Bell is a 21 times Emmy Award winner with two Edward R. Murrow Awards and a National Headliner winning first place for the expose on airline tickets prices. One of her best moment was covering the rescue of nine miners trapped in flooded Quecreek Mine in Somerset, Pa. Before starting working with the WTAE-TV, she used to work as KSDK-TV located in St. Louis and she was the reporter on nationally syndicated show known as American Journal.


Wow! That's a lot of awards and positive recognition! But, you think WTAE's confidence in her competence was eroded?

Originally Posted by Merge

Her most vocal and avid supporters are among the same crowd that continues to push racial conflict here and in our larger society...

You demonstrate irony perfectly!

Or, are you referring to people like this Tony Norman guy?

Tony Norman, an award-winning African American columnist for the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette and professor of journalism for 15 years, disagreed and explained in his column on April 1, 2016 why her termination was "all wrong."

Originally Posted by Merge

Her lawsuit is not just frivolous, but plain ol' fashioned race-baiting.

Oh, there! You did it again! Its not often that a poster so deftly illustrates irony twice in a single post!

[Merge]

Originally Posted by Salmonburgher

Ah, moving the goalposts!

I understand that WB won multiple and numerous awards for her reporting. Doesn't seem that WTAE had real cause to question competence. Certainly not sufficient to justify terminating her employment?

Actually, Bell's legal team is attempting to make her termination about her race rather than her inability to display professional journalistic standards. I'd say that's a pretty good definition of "moving the goal post", so I'll skip any lectures about "irony" from you.

And, just to give you a dose of reality... no one expected Jose Canseco or Mark McGwire to win performance awards in their 40's just b/c they were successful as younger men. Their contracts weren't extended into perpetuity because they had some good years. When their performance dropped, they were ushered out of the game. That's how our society works.

Just in case you aren't a sports fan, I'll break it down even simpler for you...

Winning awards is not going to insure you against the consequences of your eroding performances in the future. There are no get-out-of-jail-free cards. When you become enough of a liability to your employer, YOU WILL be let go. It appears that was a hard lesson for Wendy Bell to learn, and we have all spent too much time already discussing her shortcomings... so I'll just leave it at that for now.

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by Merge

Oh... the old "I'm-rubber-and-you're-glue" response. Good effort.

No - I said "the inverse is also true".. I was acknowledging that the people who are most fervently in support of her likely have some racist undertones - while pointing out that those who are most fervently against her also likely have some racist undertones.

Contrary to whatever you may think, racism is absolutely a two-way street.

[Salmonburgher]

Originally Posted by Merge

Actually, Bell's legal team is attempting to make her termination about her race rather than her inability to display professional journalistic standards. I'd say that's a pretty good definition of "moving the goal post", so I'll skip any lectures about "irony" from you.

And, just to give you a dose of reality... no one expected Jose Canseco or Mark McGwire to win performance awards in their 40's just b/c they were successful as younger men. Their contracts weren't extended into perpetuity because they had some good years. When their performance dropped, they were ushered out of the game. That's how our society works.

Just in case you aren't a sports fan, I'll break it down even simpler for you...

Winning awards is not going to insure you against the consequences of your eroding performances in the future. There are no get-out-of-jail-free cards. When you become enough of a liability to your employer, YOU WILL be let go. It appears that was a hard lesson for Wendy Bell to learn, and we have all spent too much time already discussing her shortcomings... so I'll just leave it at that for now.

Oh, you made the remark about Bell's audience losing confidence in her ability to report the news.

Do you have any evidence to support that assertion? Was there a poll or survey conducted?

Seems rather obvious that she was terminated only after a segment of her audience made a smelly enough stink.

So, is that what we want? The loudest criers get what they want?

[Salmonburgher]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

...I was acknowledging that the people who are most fervently in support of her likely have some racist undertones - while pointing out that those who are most fervently against her also likely have some racist undertones.

I disagree with this.

I don't think most people are actually racists or even have racist undertones. I think its perfectly likely and certainly possible for people to hold opposite opinions on an issue and on how to resolve that issue without either side being racist and both sides believing sincerely that they are correct in their opinions and approaches to resolution of the issue.

Originally Posted by tyovan4

Contrary to whatever [Merge] may think, racism is absolutely a two-way street.

Well, if you mean that people of any political-social-racial affiliation/class can be racist, then, yes, I agree.

However, I believe that there is far less racism out there than many people believe. I believe that the words racist and racism are far too frequently used incorrectly.

[norcider]

The weirdness continues, she posted a video to FB where she patronizes a sidewalk BBQ in Homewood and manages to keep her face in the frame the entire time. What a train wreck...

One of the quotes from the thread, haha!

"Ooooo...she stopped to film black folks and their natural bbq surroundings. She is like the urban David Attenborough! Ugh! Idiot."

[sealie]

Norcider, help me out, I'm torn. Is this supposed to be uproariously funny or should I be concerned that she has a personality disorder and is not getting the support she needs? This is approaching a Paula Deen level of disconnect and I have to wonder how anyone goes their whole life w/o interacting with POC enough to treat them like people. If I did half that stuff I'd have inlaws and friends and friends of friends saying, hey, you know I love you, but you gotta stop doing this and I'll help you fix it.

[norcider]

Originally Posted by sealie

Norcider, help me out, I'm torn. Is this supposed to be uproariously funny or should I be concerned that she has a personality disorder and is not getting the support she needs? This is approaching a Paula Deen level of disconnect and I have to wonder how anyone goes their whole life w/o interacting with POC enough to treat them like people. If I did half that stuff I'd have inlaws and friends and friends of friends saying, hey, you know I love you, but you gotta stop doing this and I'll help you fix it.

It's hard to say. An observant poster said something along the lines of; "she may have a strong desire to keep her face on film" . Maybe she's a narcissist and this is her way of staying relevant. Maybe that's the root of the suit as well, she just can't let go.