NJ TV reporter quits after cop killers wife interview

[thundrr1]

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/201...ies-suspended/

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A white TV reporter who voiced his opinions about black families and relations with police during a segment about a fatal police shooting said Tuesday he was suspended from his station and won’t return.

Sean Bergin said he was suspended from News 12 New Jersey without pay on Monday and with pay on Tuesday. Bergin, a contracted employee, said the station told him that his assignments would be cut to one a week and he declined to remain in the position.

Bergin’s report, which aired Sunday, featured the widow of a black man who police say shot a rookie Jersey City police officer to death and who was then killed by officers responding to the shooting. The widow, Angelique Campbell, told Bergin that Lawrence Campbell should have killed more officers, but she later apologized.

Bergin said in his report that the underlying cause of an anti-police mentality is young black men growing up without fathers.

“It’s important to shine a light on this anti-cop mentality that has so contaminated America’s inner cities,” Bergin said after airing the widow’s comments and showing a memorial for her husband. “The underlying cause of all of this, of course, young black men growing up without fathers.”

The TV station said that the response to Bergin’s report was being handled internally and that it doesn’t comment on personnel matters.

“It is News 12′s policy that reporters must be objective and not state personal opinions on-air,” the station said in a statement Tuesday.

Bergin said that he added his commentary just before going on air because he had heard from police officers outraged that the station was airing the widow’s comments.

“If I had it to do over again, I would do the exact same thing,” Bergin said. “I broke the rules. I knew I was breaking the rules. But sometimes you have to break the rules to do the right thing.”

He said that the issue of young black men without fathers deserves more media coverage.

The National Association of Black Journalists’ president, Bob Butler, challenged Bergin’s connection between young black men growing up without fathers and anti-police sentiments and said that Bergin went beyond the standards of a news reporter by inserting his views on the story.

“Are there problems in the inner city with kids without fathers? Yes. But does that make kids violent? No,” Butler said. “There are a lot of kids without fathers who go to college, graduate and become upstanding citizens. He’s talking about a social phenomenon where there’s lack of opportunity in communities.”

Bergin, 49, said that he has worked for News 12 as a freelance reporter for seven years, for six or seven days a week. He said he made about $1,300 a week working on stories in New Jersey and in New York’s Long Island and Westchester County.

He said the station told him Tuesday that if wished to remain he would be limited to one story a week on Long Island for $300.

EDIT: Sorry,,, I couldn't think of a more creative title.

[prospero1919]

Hypocrisy abound. Most all reporting now has some editorial aspect to it. Now if the reporter would have inserted an opinion involving lack of gun control policies blah blah blah - he would have gotten a pat on the back and a promotion cause it was more in line with the political agenda of that particular news agency. I so miss the days when news was simply information without speculation and opinion in this for profit 24 hr news cycle.

[ErSwnn]

Had he included other aspects of the problem besides fatherless children he might have gotten his point across without being fired. But it appears he only voiced an opinion, and that was singular rather than encompassing the issue with other causes. Not that he is wrong in the factual side of things but he should have added a few other causes to balance out the report.

He also failed to understand the general audience he was reporting to. The station is a business and he, as far as the management is concerned, just insulted a large portion of that audience. And that audience for the most part doesn't want to hear the truth, deal with the truth or change the reality of the truth.

They guy just finished a long gig in NYC, he won't have any trouble getting more work elsewhere. Somewhere where an honest report might have a better chance.

[Silence Dogood]

The media simply must quash the truth as quickly as possible.

[Frenchy]

[TaePo]

He's a reporter / writer. He is quite capable to find an 'expert' or someone that agrees with his opinions or thoughts on the matter and report that rather than just editorializing a story with no basis in fact.

[twency]

EDIT: Sorry,,, I couldn't think of a more creative title.

Just as an aside, thank you for using a descriptive title. The "creative" ones aren't particularly useful when browsing the forums. The "You won't believe this!" and "REALLY????" type titles are annoying and unhelpful.

[ewrski]

The news is what they want you to hear.

[soap]

"He said the station told him Tuesday that if wished to remain he would be limited to one story a week on Long Island for $300."

HR wants to smoke him out w/o actually firing him, bastards!

[God's Country]

He's a reporter / writer. He is quite capable to find an 'expert' or someone that agrees with his opinions or thoughts on the matter and report that rather than just editorializing a story with no basis in fact.

I agree and it would be nice if that standard were applied across the board.