WTAE-TV's Wendy Bell fired over racially inflammatory Facebook posts
Ms. Bell, who was with the station for 18 years, created an online stir with posts to her Facebook page.
March 30, 2016 3:46 PM
Wendy Bell has been fired from her job at WTAE-TV, the station confirmed Wednesday.
By Maria Sciullo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WTAE-TV news anchor Wendy Bell has been fired after a recent public apology from the station regarding a post on her Facebook page. A statement made today from Hearst Television, the station’s parent company, reads “WTAE has ended its relationship with anchor Wendy Bell. Wendy’s recent comments on a WTAE Facebook page were inconsistent with the company’s ethics and journalistic standards.”
WTAE-TV president and general manager Charles Wolfertz III confirmed the news and declined comment. A spokesman for Hearst Television, declined further comment.
Ms. Bell had been off the air since Mr. Wolfertz aired a public apology from the station last week, citing Ms. Bell’s “egregious lack of judgment” in posting racial stereotypes on her official Facebook page.
After a mass shooting in Wilkinsburg and before police had announced any arrests, Ms. Bell wrote, in part ”You needn’t be a criminal profiler to draw a mental sketch of the killers who broke so many hearts two weeks ago Wednesday... they are young black men, likely in their teens or early 20s.
“They have multiple siblings from multiple fathers and their mothers work multiple jobs.”
She then wrote about another young African American man, this one a worker in a SouthSide Works restaurant. She said she called over the manager and praised the man, adding ”I wonder how long it had been since someone told him he was special.”
Since originally posting on Facebook, Ms. Bell edited the statement, and eventually removed it. It created an online stir, with parodies on sites such as verysmartbrothas.com and thousands of comments for and against the longtime newswoman on sites such as reddit.
Ms. Bell, who had been with the station for 18 years and won numerous regional Emmy awards for her work, later apologized. In part, it read “I now understand that some of the words I chose were insensitive and could be viewed as racist. I regret offending anyone. I’m truly sorry.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, her Facebook page had been taken down. Her profile on the WTAE-TV website also has been removed.
Ms. Bell, who was with the station for 18 years, created an online stir with posts to her Facebook page.
March 30, 2016 3:46 PM
Wendy Bell has been fired from her job at WTAE-TV, the station confirmed Wednesday.
By Maria Sciullo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WTAE-TV news anchor Wendy Bell has been fired after a recent public apology from the station regarding a post on her Facebook page. A statement made today from Hearst Television, the station’s parent company, reads “WTAE has ended its relationship with anchor Wendy Bell. Wendy’s recent comments on a WTAE Facebook page were inconsistent with the company’s ethics and journalistic standards.”
WTAE-TV president and general manager Charles Wolfertz III confirmed the news and declined comment. A spokesman for Hearst Television, declined further comment.
Ms. Bell had been off the air since Mr. Wolfertz aired a public apology from the station last week, citing Ms. Bell’s “egregious lack of judgment” in posting racial stereotypes on her official Facebook page.
After a mass shooting in Wilkinsburg and before police had announced any arrests, Ms. Bell wrote, in part ”You needn’t be a criminal profiler to draw a mental sketch of the killers who broke so many hearts two weeks ago Wednesday... they are young black men, likely in their teens or early 20s.
“They have multiple siblings from multiple fathers and their mothers work multiple jobs.”
She then wrote about another young African American man, this one a worker in a SouthSide Works restaurant. She said she called over the manager and praised the man, adding ”I wonder how long it had been since someone told him he was special.”
Since originally posting on Facebook, Ms. Bell edited the statement, and eventually removed it. It created an online stir, with parodies on sites such as verysmartbrothas.com and thousands of comments for and against the longtime newswoman on sites such as reddit.
Ms. Bell, who had been with the station for 18 years and won numerous regional Emmy awards for her work, later apologized. In part, it read “I now understand that some of the words I chose were insensitive and could be viewed as racist. I regret offending anyone. I’m truly sorry.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, her Facebook page had been taken down. Her profile on the WTAE-TV website also has been removed.
