The whole subject matter has taken on a life of its own. Not that an opinion on domestic abuse/murder (Gabby Petito) is something trivial, it isn't. And Somerville wanted to make a point about the media coverage.
Frank will not be back tonight and Mondday. I think KTVU (Fox) is planning multiple meetsings in both Oakland and at corporate. Gees, I wonder what's at the top of the agenda.
I'll be postingt when necessary.
Well played, Frank!
ReplyDeleteInstead of twisting in the wind until his contract expires next year, he decided to leave in an explosive dispute over whether Fox overemphasizes the murders of attractive young white women to the exclusion of Black women. If they fire him, he can sue on on racial grounds and it will become real messy. Imagine Frank on MSNBC complaining that Fox has an anti-Black bias. Fox's only choice on Monday is to pay him to sign a non-disparagement agreement -- enough that he can live comfortably for the rest of his life. If Fox doesn't get control of this crisis, Oakland's Black leaders will be setting up pickets at Jack London Square.
Worse for Fox is that KTVU's license expires in 2022. Currently the FCC is 2-2 (Republican-Democrat), but the sitting president is entitled to appoint the fifth member, which will give Dems a 3-2 majority, enough to reject KTVU's license renewal next year. That's the kind of blow the Progressive base would love to strike against Fox -- take away one of their O&Os.
Sound far fetched? This controversy has long legs. Frank could be on every news channel (except the conservative ones), saying exactly what the liberals want to hear. I can see "60 Minutes" doing a segment on the "popular local anchorman who was fired by Fox for tying to speak truth to power."
It really takes some pretty egregious behavior for a media outlet to lose their license. All Fox would need to do is show that their coverage is similar to pretty much everyone else in the market. Then they could trot out stats for the number of on-air talent of African ancestry compared to other stations in the market and then show their EEO statistics. None are likely to be overly helpful in proving an anti-Black bias at KTVU/KICU.
Delete> If they fire him, he can sue on on racial
ReplyDelete> grounds and it will become real messy.
No he can't.
And I'm a former attorney (retired), so I know. I've represented people in such cases; this situation doesn't meet the requirements, for reasons I'll explain to you after you take Civil Procedure, Torts I, Torts II, and Constitutional Law and get back to me.
Mic drop!
DeleteThe whole point is that Fox (and other corporate entities) do not want things to end up in any kind of court action. They cannot control the consequences of a court suit unless they settle, they can only settle if Sommerville agrees. You can sue for anything (with or without merit) and generate all kinds of adverse publicity for your opponent. That's how the law and the courts work. Things may get thrown out of court but the damage is done. Just look at what's happened with Trump's election challenges and the "Big Lie"
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly happened to them?
DeleteYou can't sue for anything, especially discrimination. You need permission from the EEOC. I know because I have been through it. Granted permission to pursue a discrimination case against IU.
DeleteDoes Frank have any true friends? Despite his very public persona, I get the sense he may be a bit of a loner without a support network. His ktvu job forced him to at least try to stay on the straight and narrow. Once he’s officially off the air let’s hope he doesn’t go off the rails. I wish him well.
ReplyDeleteGabby Petito is the new 9/11.
ReplyDeleteAnd Frank is the new Mumia Abu-Jamal.
DeleteFrank's got a good case. He can sue under California Labor Code Section 1101 and 1102. Plaintiffs have cited those statutes in numerous cases in which they received significant payouts, such as Damore v. Google.
ReplyDeleteOh my God, Damore v. Google has nothing to do with Somerville's situation. Last month everyone was an armchair infectious disease expert. Apparently this month it's employment law.
Delete@2:57 As a Youtube Lawyer, Contractor, Airline Mechanic and Doctor, I know what I'm saying when it comes to Sommerville having a case against Fox. Roe Vee Wade is a prime example.
Delete@2:57 lol. Yes, everyone is an "expert", and yes Damore vs. Google has nothing to do with what Frank is facing.
DeleteWhat in the world does Damore v. Google have anything to do with Frank's current situation??? Not all cases involving white men are the same. In this case not even remotely similar.
Delete@12:30pm Exactly.
DeleteI find it telling that the people who are up in arms insistent that the media’s coverage has nothing to do with the race of the victim never present any facts or evidence to support their claim that the media handles cases of missing indigenous or women of color in the same manor.
In order for the media to give any substantial amount of coverage to a missing woman case, ALL of the following must be present: White, attractive, all-American look, middle to upper class background.
So you can continue to rant and rave online that you’re tired of race being the issue, or that this case has nothing to do with race, but I’m sorry to remind you that the facts are not on your side, nor have they ever been.
If you feel that I’m wrong, please have a facts-based response where you provide examples of the media choosing to give any substantial amount of attention to a missing woman of color or indigenous woman. Most can’t even name one such woman. Why? Because the media doesn’t cover it. It may not be right, but it is reality.
I am so sick and tired of race being inserted into every dang thing! The Gabby Petito media circus was not because she was allegedly a "pretty white girl", but because she was a "media personality" with 1000s of followers. It was because of those followers, that the FBI was able to find her body, since one of them actually videoed the van so they then knew where to look. Race had absolutely nothing to do with the media circus.
ReplyDelete"Media personality?" LOL Ummmmm...no. "Thousands of followers?" Big deal. Having thousands of followers means absolutely nothing these days. That's a dime a dozen. The collective wisdom is correct: The overblown media coverage of this case has everything to do with the fact that she's a cute blonde haired white girl. People don't expect this type of thing to happen to a girl like Gabby, hence the fascination. Newsroom producers know that and that's why you saw wall to wall coverage of this.
DeleteThe reason you've never seen similar coverage of a missing woman of color or missing indigenous women is because the vast swath of the country simply wouldn't care. I'm not saying YOU wouldn't care but the bulk of the population obsessed with Gabby's case wouldn't give a damn if it was a single black mother from the inner city. Facts. Sadly we've become conditioned to assume (if even subconsciously) that missing women of color are missing because of criminal activity they're associated with including prostitution, drugs, poverty, etc. It's a sad reality but this is why you never have, and never will, see coverage like this of a woman who isn't a cute white female like Gabby....or Laci Peterson....or Natalee Holloway.
Look up the LaToyia Figueroa case if you still don't understand the disparity between coverage of attractive missing white women and women of color.
Exactly
DeleteIf you're sick and tired of the race inclusion, imagine how the families of color feel.
DeleteShame on Frankie for trying to make this a race issue. I'm sure if his black adoptive daughter went missing he would do what Gabby's family did - kept it in the public eye. Sick of everything being about race. It has nothing to do with people of color. Whatever that even means. Hope Frankie boy is gone for good.
ReplyDeleteNo one here is blaming Gabby's family for wanting to keep this in the spotlight and bring her killer to justice. And yes, you're right, that is what any family would want to do. Nobody disputes that. This discussion is about the disparity in what the media chooses to cover when it comes to missing white attractive women vs women of color.
DeleteIf this girl was black you'd never even know her name so please just stop already. Fox News is the one cable network that ran this thing endlessly (others picked it up), but if she had been a black girl it would never have registered.
DeleteAs for Frank who even cares? He's a local news anchor. Not interesting. None of this is.
As I recall the late Pete Wilson provided commentary on the newscasts and of course he also did on his radio show. I’m no fan of mr krav maga but it appears this is a well orchestrated PR move to gain leverage. Well played as the nextdoor crowd is already calling and emailing KTVU as well as threatening a boycott and even organizing a march in support of mr hair plugs
ReplyDeleteHow many of the missing nonwhite people had thousands of followers on social media as they drove cross-country?
ReplyDeletePeople are also more interested in probable victims of foul play, like Laci Peterson or Natalee Holloway.