WOOD TV reporters, producers rail against internal memo calling for less Pride coverage
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Holland Sentinel is a content partner of WOOD TV-8.
GRAND RAPIDS — A local TV station is coming under fire, from the public and employees, for reportedly telling reporters to cover fewer Pride events because it was upsetting conservative viewers.
The memo at WOOD TV comes as local and state officials vote to ban Pride flags and other displays from public property, and prevent teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity.
"We know that West Michigan is a conservative area in many ways," the internal memo said, according to thedesk.net, a website that covers the news media. "We need to recognize that some stories related to LGBTQ issues are going to be controversial and polarizing in our community."
Navigating the politics around Pride Month, an annual celebration for LGBTQ Americans, has become a challenge for companies and marketers as they face increasingly vocal opposition.
The Hartland Consolidated Schools Board of Education narrowly passed a policy change Monday that restricts what kinds of signs, posters, flags, stickers and other items can be displayed in school buildings, according to the Livingston Daily.
The Hamtramck City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban Pride flags from being displayed on all city property after three hours of public comment and months of intense debate.
Last month, Target moved Pride displays and merchandise away from entrances of some stores, saying the decision to adjust their plans was to protect workers after some customers screamed at them and threatened to boycott the stores.
Anheuser-Busch is facing fallout after a marketing campaign with the transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
As for WOOD TV, the news station suggested its reporters need not cover every Pride event, according to thedesk.net. The station added: "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."
News anchor Michele DeSelms took issue with this portion of the memo, tweeting: "Our newsroom immediately stood up to the two 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, friends and the community. This fight is not over. Please know we are standing up for what’s right, standing strong together and we will not let hate win."
The Detroit MetroTimes, an alternative weekly, also reported on the station's memo, noting it said: "We have also started to hear pushback from viewers who are not happy to see those Pride related stories," adding that, "while you personally may not agree with a certain position, people are entitled to their opinions and they are our viewers."
"This memo was met with immediate pushback from our newsroom. The guidance is not being followed," WOOD TV executive producer Luke Stier posted on Twitter. "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."
Producer Kyle McIlmurray wrote: "It has been an awfully difficult week for our newsroom. The silver lining in this mess is that our staff is united in pushing back on this ridiculous and hurtful memo that was sent out."
On Thursday, Gary Weitman — executive vice president of Nexstar Media Group in Texas, which owns WOOD TV — released a statement apologizing "for offending members of the LGBTQ community and WOOD TV’s viewers," and pledged to "take appropriate action as necessary to address this situation."
He said the company is "looking into the situation" and "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."
He added that "diversity, equity, and inclusion are among Nexstar’s core values. Our local TV stations are expected to cover and report the news of the day in an expansive and inclusive fashion, consistent with these values."
— The Holland Sentinel contributed to this report. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: WOOD TV reporters, producers rail against internal memo calling for less Pride coverage
