Some thoughts on WNYC, the Takeaway and John Hockenberry...
First of all, I love Adaora Udoji, @farai Celeste Headlee.
AND I AM LIVID–LIVID!!!!–about WNYC's complicity and shame in the sexual harassment and racism the women and people of color employees have endured.
First of all, I love Adaora Udoji, @farai Celeste Headlee.
AND I AM LIVID–LIVID!!!!–about WNYC's complicity and shame in the sexual harassment and racism the women and people of color employees have endured.
This story is OUTRAGEOUS.
The Takeaway was supposed to address WNYC's all white programming. Years ago, I applied for jobs in the opening crew. Never got one, but was a guest on the show many times.
Somehow, the diversity show became about one white man: JOHN HOCKNEBERRY.
The Takeaway was supposed to address WNYC's all white programming. Years ago, I applied for jobs in the opening crew. Never got one, but was a guest on the show many times.
Somehow, the diversity show became about one white man: JOHN HOCKNEBERRY.
According to this story, Hockenberry not only harassed the young women interns and producers, but he undermined the three Black women co-hosts, each who was driven away.
This is how white white, polite liberal public media works: promote white men, harm women (of color).
This is how white white, polite liberal public media works: promote white men, harm women (of color).
I've always felt public media is the most racist and bigoted media (because the low wages only employ rich white liberals). This story shows another ugly thing: that the NICENESS and smugness of outlets like WNYC makes them hide sexual harassment and racism.
And the careers of Black women, other women, and people of color are (explicitly or implicitly) are stymied...meanwhile, management is protecting old white men who are allowed to bully and harass everyone else.
As a guest, I found Hockenberry kind of rude in interrupting me. But as a listener, it seemed like he interrupted his co-hosts a lot, particularly Celeste Headless. As a listener, it seemed like he didn't respect or like his co-hosts.
And then, eventually, the show was just his. The "diversity" experiment had failed, and it was just the show of one white man.
But this happened because of his bullying women and POC...and WNYC backed him up, apparently when people actually complained.
But this happened because of his bullying women and POC...and WNYC backed him up, apparently when people actually complained.
It breaks my heart to think of the opportunities women and people of color have loves because outlets like WNYC put everything (even their entire diversity show) into the cult of getting behind a single white man. EVERYTHING.
Think of the careers and the talents driven out.
Think of the careers and the talents driven out.
And it was so obvious. You just had to be a listener to hear how this one white man was rolling over these talented Black co-hosts...three of them in a row...and WNYC let them all go, didn't support any of their careers, made the diversity show into this white man's show...
...while he was also harassing the women guests and interns and producers.
As usual, JUST LOOK TO BLACK WOMEN.
If WNYC had cared about Adaora Udoji,, Farai Chideya or Celeste Headlee, this wouldn't be a surprise (just like if the US had listened to Anita Hill).
As usual, JUST LOOK TO BLACK WOMEN.
If WNYC had cared about Adaora Udoji,, Farai Chideya or Celeste Headlee, this wouldn't be a surprise (just like if the US had listened to Anita Hill).
And white people - stop giving your money to public radio. As employers, outlets like WNYC are mostly a whites-only, men-only bastion of bad labor practices, exploitation and denigration for workers, especially Black women.
*HeadLEE, pardon
I agree -- follow @CelesteHeadlee and buy her book!
I'm so sorry this happened to you @CelesteHeadlee. You were so sharp and intelligent, and it was frustrating to hear you cut off so often. It must have been so awful to have been publicly undercut so obviously & to have WNYC allow it.
A final thought on this thread: If liberal listeners keep giving Laura Walker $800K a year to facilitate white men running Black women off the air & ignoring sexual harassment of women in PUBLIC media, they're financing bigotry
media.wnyc.org/media/resource…
media.wnyc.org/media/resource…
