Shaming Voicemailer Publicly When Station is Asking People To Chime In For “We Listen” segment?
This is kind of a complicated one and I really wanted to hear the feedback of people in the local news business, because I’m conflicted
So the local ABC Affiliate in El Paso, KVIA occasionally runs a “ABC 7 Listens” segment where they discuss viewer complaints and questions. I like it, and I’m sure the station likes it too because it is filler material at times.
Anyway the sports director is the one doing the “Listens” segment in this version.
They play a voicemail of some older sounding lady, who I’ll be frank, sounds mentally ill calling his neon green bracelet he wears every day, “it’s nauseating,” she says.
Them he precedes to tell why he wears it (to honor a young cousin who died who was an organ donor)
It’s sweet and it seems on brand for the guy who seems like a timid, nice guy even though he’s in TV media. I Have No problem with the bracelet. I had strict dress codes in banking so i get it.
What I have a problem with is 4-fold
- There is no “voicemail” number for this nor do they ever do voicemails on this segment usually so someone went out of their way to get to his vm and send this. It’s normally email only
I know people can be dicks, But is the crazy lady fair game to whip it into the story when she theoretically called into a number that wasn’t for that segment?
Because he precedes to dunk on her at the end.
Don’t you think ethically, destroying a viewer complaint like this so tersely, kind of dissuades people from chiming in even though you ask them?
I know we’ve all seen the other viral videos of anchors discussing how they are fat shamed, or talked down to about their clothing or being a woman, etc.
Does this feel like it should rise up to the level of those things we’ve seen? Again, people are dicks so why give them air? (like how people aren’t shown running on the field)
- Even if you don’t agree that it was out of bounds to address it the way he did, which again is a kind story about his beloved cousin, is teasing the lady with a bag of dozens of the item she had a little much?
I’m sorry about being long winded, but my wife and I have had many talks about this for a few weeks and I’m curious your opinion as newsies who likely hear BS from people at times (or at least your workplaces) what you think about this.
If you spend the 5-7 minutes reading and watching this, a sincere thank you. Ive wanted to bounce this off others for a long time
James