Northland's News Center Volunteers at Haiti Telethon

Well, I’ve been critical of this operation twice before now, might as well make it a trilogy since no one else pointed this other stuff out …

After being awfully critical of the Northland’s News Center on this wonderful, community web page, I feel that it is appropriate to note that they did an on-air fundraiser on Wednesday and raised over $23,000 for Haiti relief. If you consider that people in Haiti may have lived on about $2 a day BEFORE the quake hit, it’s an even bigger deal.

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Also, on the racial diversity front, over the years they have brought us many shining stars in hues other than just the Scandinavian/Northern European pink our region is so well-known for. (No offense, to KJ, Kessler or, my favorite, Dave Anderson intended). But I admit that it rings very hollow for a random blogger like me, on a little website like this one to cause a stir over diversity at that place WITHOUT mentioning all that they have done to promote racial harmony through their hiring practices on both sides of the camera. So … mea culpa on that front.

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On another front, has anyone noticed any “women of a certain age” delivering news on any of the other local stations lately? Me neither. With the possible exception of Beth Jett, who strikes me as very Gen X, local commercial TV is pretty much dominated by the under 30 set when it comes to the ladies. Sure, some of that is economic – the jobs don’t pay a huge lot in this market – but (in my own personal opinion) part of it comes from a legacy of sexism in the local TV news business everywhere. However, the NNC has at least two very experienced, seasoned newswomen that have been on our local ariwaves for as long as I can remember: Barbara Reyelts and the “noozelady” herself, Michelle Lee.

Hoping this one doesn’t stir up the personal attacks my last one did, but if it does someone else is gonna have to manage them, because when you folks get out of hand, you REALLY get out of hand.