USA: Did CBS Make Gayle King A Target For Views And Traffic?

Threats
Written By 
Location: Unted States
Date: February 11, 2020

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the attacks and online harassment of television presenter Gayle King. She recently found herself in the eye of a storm after clips of her questioning Lisa Leslie about Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault charge was circulated by CBS.

While CBS has condemned the barrage of abuse Gayle has received following the clip’s airing, we have to question why the network did not act with more responsibility towards Gayle.

The clip that was released across CBS’ social media is part of a larger interview. That the broadcasting company chose to release the portion covering the sexual assault case is unfortunate. That the video has been taken out of context by fans of Bryant is disgraceful.

Susan Zirinsky, the President of CBS News backed Gayle amid the threats and criticism. She said that the network “fully supports” her and condemns the “reprehensible” threats made against Gayle.

The clips earned Gayle the ire of not just the audience but several celebrities who saw her words as a betrayal to the black community. Chief among them were big names such as rapper Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent. Snoop Dogg released a video where he told threatened her by saying “back off, b****, before we come get you”.

The rapper deleted the video after it picked up steam online and resulted in death threats for Gayle. In another message, he said: “I spoke for the people who felt like Gayle was very disrespectful towards Kobe Bryant and his family. Now with that being said, what do I look like, wanting some harm to come to a 70-year-old woman? I was raised way better than that. I don’t want no harm to come to her and I didn’t threaten her. All I did was say, ‘Check it out, you outta pocket for what you doing and we watching you. Have a little bit more respect for Vanessa, her babies and Kobe Bryant’s legacy.”

The trend of attacks and harassment targeting women journalists, especially in the case of those bringing up Bryant’s past life, is very dangerous. It poses serious threats to the safety of women journalists, who are already vulnerable to various threats both on and off the field.

The serious abuse and death threats that Gayle has received online, particularly by celebrities with a massive following, is deplorable, to say the least. Anyone who has attempted to remember the late basketball legend’s legacy alongside his assault charge, has been attacked and threatened online.

Just a few weeks earlier, Washington Post journalist Felicia Sonmez was being sent death and rape threats for merely Tweeting an article about the late basketball player’s sexual assualt charge. She was then sent on an administrative leave by her employer but was soon reinstated after facing severe backlash from her colleagues at WaPo, journalists and advocates of press freedom. Read our statement here. Given the situation, CBS should have been more aware of how the promos would impact Gayle. 

Gayle herself has gone on the record to say that “I am mortified, I am embarrassed and I’m very angry,” about how the promotion of the segment has been handled. Celebrity host Oprah Winfrey, who is Gayle’s longtime friend, has condemned the abuse towards her friend. She also added that Gayle “is not doing well” and has received “death threats”.

Following the unwarranted abuse and threats online, a hashtag #IStandWithGayle started trending online. People have taken to Twitter to condemn those abusing and threatening Gayle. They are supporting Gayle in the midst of all the anger she is being subjected to.

Journalist Janelle Burrell tweeted, “As journalists, we often have to ask tough and uncomfortable questions. It’s within your right to disagree. What’s not okay is to threaten anyone with vile, hate-filled language and death threats. #IStandWithGayle @GayleKing”

We, at The Coalition, denounce the abusive and nasty treatment Gayle has received. We demand that Gayle’s security is ensured until and those involved in inciting violence against her are brought to book. And we hope that networks will operate with a better understanding of the threats that women journalists face. 

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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org

 

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.

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