News station director fired after asking journalists to tone down coverage of Pride events following viewer complaints

The director of a local news station in Michigan has been fired, as has an assistant director, after issuing a memo to journalists asking them to cover Pride events in a more "balanced" way.

WOOD-TV8 — an NBC affiliate based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan — terminated news director Stanton Tang and assistant news director Amy Fox for releasing the intra-office memo regarding coverage of Pride Month events. According to excerpts of the memo, news station officials had received complaints from viewers who were upset by the station's supposedly fawning coverage of LGBTQ events.

"We know that West Michigan is a Conservative area in many ways," the memo said, according to reports. "We need to recognize that some stories related to LGBTQ issues are going to be controversial and polarizing in our community. While you personally may not agree with a certain position, people are entitled to their opinions, and they are our viewers."

The WOOD-TV memo asked journalists to cover Pride events selectively, based on their "newsworthy-ness." Should a story be deemed newsworthy, journalists should then make every effort to stay "balanced and get both sides of the issue." Tang reportedly requested the memo, and Fox reportedly wrote and sent it on his behalf.

Newsroom staff apparently responded to the directive with a mixture of defiance and fury. Based on comments from unnamed employees quoted in the Desk, many staff members experienced significant emotional turmoil on account of the memo. "The toxic atmosphere created by Stanton’s behavior has had a profound impact on the well-being and morale of our team," one employee said in an email to the Desk. Another claimed that emotions at the station were "still raw." A third employee, identified as a journalist, stated, "This whole situation killed what used to be a very enjoyable job. I have no passion for it anymore."

Once the memo leaked to the media, WOOD-TV's parent company, Nexstar, immediately apologized for it, claiming that the memo was "not consistent with Nexstar’s values, the way we cover the news, or the respect we have for our viewers." Nexstar also insisted that its local stations are expected to report the news in an "expansive and inclusive fashion." Nexstar representatives then flew to Michigan to conduct an investigation into the memo and to the individuals responsible for leaking it.

After several weeks of investigations, Tang and Fox were both dismissed. Tang is expected to be replaced by Steven Ackermann, who will fill the position on an interim basis.

In its reporting, the Desk slammed Tang, alleging that he reportedly had a long history of engaging in "abusive and hostile behavior toward subordinates" and that his "anti-Pride Month memo" was just the "latest" example of it. The outlet also hinted that Tang harbors extremist views, appearing to criticize him for following on social media noted conservatives like Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire. "The anxiety at WOOD-TV caused by Tang turned a once-exceptional news team into a group that felt constantly under pressure, stressed and afraid," the Desk wrote.

In addition to firing Tang and Fox, Nexstar also parted ways with executive producers Luke Stier and Madeline Odle, who allegedly leaked the memo. Stier and Odle, who are expected to be married next month, were fired for supposedly "breaking a corporate confidentiality policy."

The engaged couple made a joint statement on Twitter about the dismissal. In the statement, they claimed that they are now "reading the news instead of writing it." They also said they "love" the Grand Rapids area and felt "heartbroken" to be separated from their WOOD-TV coworkers, with whom they share an "incredible legacy." The statement made mention of a "non-compete clause" which may prevent them from landing another job in the news industry.

Last Thursday, Nexstar spokesman Gary Weitman told CNN that the company had recently made some staffing changes to "ensure its ability to continue providing outstanding local news coverage and service to the Grand Rapids community and surrounding area." But he also added that as "these are internal personnel decisions involving matters of personal privacy, we will decline further comment."

Tang confirmed to the Detroit News that he had hired an attorney but did not comment further.

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