UPDATED: Trouble in TEGNA, NBC, 12 News False #RacismForRatings Paradise: John Misner Bites The NBC Dust

UPDATED: Trouble in TEGNA, NBC, 12 News False #RacismForRatings Paradise: John Misner Bites The NBC Dust

Updated April 21, 2017 As predicted by The Sociopathic Business Model™: TEGNA’s NBC’s, 12 News anchor Vanessa Ruiz didn’t last in the anchor position until the end of her contract in July.  According to FTVLive “management is pulling Ruiz off the main shows and the other Anchors at the station were told that she will different schedule until her contract is up in July.” Like to say I’m surprised but all accomplices eventually become victims. Maybe Ruiz can try out a French accent at her next station or wear a dancing monkey costume if the station requests it.

Updated: October 13, 2016 Another one bites the dust…

As predicted by The Sociopathic Business Model™, in August 2015, when TEGNA, NBC, 12 News, decided to release Fay Fredricks, after 14 years of loyal employment, without so much as the opportunity to thank her loyal viewers, this would not end well for more than a few.  It gives me great pleasure to announce President & General Manager 12 News, John Misner…is down.  Sadly, he’s joining Arizona State University with a dual appointment as faculty of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, my Alma mater.  It saddens me, as a successful federal whistleblower, to now not financially support ASU for their poor decision to hire the ethically challenged Misner.

Amazing how one mismanaged decision took down three careers, well and if fact-based evidence over time is any indication of the future, it still may claim a fourth.

Updated: May 5, 2016

TEGNA, NBC, 12 News Vice President Mark Casey, retires, who didn’t see this coming? Certainly not frequent readers of this site or those familiar with The Sociopathic Business Model™, which predicted the departure of Casey & crew back in September.  Anyone else thinking John Misner & Patti Dennis might be a little nervous?  You know what really should help their numbers? No, not #RacismForRatings but rather #CurtisInCars. All shame in their game, as in shameful play to try and help the failing ratings ripping off people who are funny or have talent with this bit.  Just read the fucking news without your opinion, that’s all people want.  But pandering is working out great, isn’t it?

 

Who doesn’t love #AlGreen? @mcurtis12news @JohnjayVanEs @richberra sure do! #CurtisinCars @12News at 10 p.m. pic.twitter.com/mffXBq1X0o

— Cassie Rathbun (@CassieRathbun) May 4, 2016

September 2, 2015

 

UPDATED: Original story below: Sandra Kotzambasis TEGNA NBC 12 News KPNX News Director announced to staff she’s leaving and tearfully packed up her office.

Are news stations like TEGNA NBC 12 News Phoenix creating #RacismForRatings? The possible exploitation of new female Latina anchor, Vanessa Ruiz is just another example of workplace abuse where racism and sexism are encouraged, replicated and rewarded in a corrupt business model; and, that corruption starts at the top.

TEGNA NBC 12 News new female Latina anchor Vanessa Ruiz recently came from the LA market where she was a reporter for another NBC affiliate. Take a listen below to a story Ruiz did in July just prior to starting in Phoenix and pay particular attention to the annunciation of the city Los Angeles.

“I don’t intend to come to Phoenix and do things ‘my way,’ however my goal is to stay authentic to who I am.”

Ruiz claims on air that people were unhappy with the way she was pronouncing names of the cities in Phoenix and that she’s just trying to stay authentic to who she is. However, Ruiz pronounced the city of Los Angeles without staying authentic while actually working in Los Angeles.  That’s inconsistent & contradictory to language to action and a trigger for the unethical behavior of manipulating the facts while not recognizing the rights of others which is further supported below: Ruiz was on air in Phoenix since August 14, 2015 yet the claims of viewer racism only came to light after 14 year station veteran Fay Fredricks’ final day on August 28, 2015 (who Ruiz is replacing). September  2, 2015 the PR machine of TEGNA 12 News in the form of the station’s news director, Sandra Kotzambasis told Buzzfeed’s Stephanie McNeal “that a lot of viewers also questioned the way Ruiz pronounced the name of a colleague, weather anchor Caribe Devine. ”  Funny thing is that Caribe Devine has been pronouncing her name just fine for the decade she’s been on 12 News.  News stations are making a push to exploit Latinas in the industry to over exaggerate their heritage by “roll their R’s or are asked to dye their hair” to help the station gain more marketshare with the Latino community.  So much so explained by an industry insider that “playing-up heritage” is heavily implied during the interview process.  This is plain and simple exploitation of an employee to manipulate the viewers unethically for the benefit of the profit of new stations.   The news stations are insulting and demeaning not only their employee but their loyal viewers (making them out to be racists)* for their own profit which is textbook for The Sociopathic Business Model™   What Buzzfeed’s Stephanie McNeal & more recent The New York Times FERNANDA SANTOS and CHRISTINE HAUSER failed to do is ask if station managers asked Ruiz to “roll her R’s” to try and gain greater market share in the Latino community? Unethically manipulate facts trying to create race issues to increase their Latino market share & profits at while exploiting their new Latina female anchor and loyal viewers? *there are always going to be abusive people in any market on any given topic: race, religion, sexism but are station’s claims created or conflated for their benefit?   Again the timing of the #RacismForRatings campaign which TEGNA NBC 12News wants to make national isn’t for the benefit of Ruiz or to bring about social awareness to the topic of racism and that’s best demonstrated on social media exposing their own calculated platform for profit:

.@BuzzFeed wrote about our own @VanessaR12News and the national attention she’s getting right now #12news http://t.co/bJigUM4xjO — 12 News (@12News) September 2, 2015

 

This is very telling: Note it’s about the station’s anchor getting national attention (which ties back to ratings for the station). Ruiz doesn’t get a bonus for national attention (under contract) but I’d be willing to bet executives do if ratings jump.

TEGNA NBC 12 News made no mention of trying to advance awareness in racism but instead spent countless minutes each day this week promoting their anchor on what looks like a fabricated (in this instance) “problem” to help their own platform of attracting through manipulation a larger Latino market share.

Cut to an election year where immigration is a hot button and one that’s easily exploited if people don’t pay attention to the obvious signs of manipulation.

Original Story

This site writes a lot about people who lack in self-awareness, manipulate the facts without remorse or guilt while shifting blame & pathologically feel glibly entitled to forgiveness despite lack of accountability, known as professional victims.   Gwyneth Paltrow, Lena Dunham & Josh Duggar are just a few examples of professional victims. These people often incorrectly refer to people who force accountability as haters.

.@BuzzFeed wrote about our own @VanessaR12News and the national attention she’s getting right now #12news http://t.co/bJigUM4xjO — 12 News (@12News) September 2, 2015

It’s not shocking to anyone in Phoenix that the launch of Vanessa Ruiz at Tegna’s NBC 12 News has been anything but smooth (in fact there’s been buzz they’ll need to do a re-launch). Every employer has the right to make changes to their staff; but, not while unethically & possibly illegally manipulating facts, or insulting & demeaning others by not recognizing their rights; and, that’s exactly what Tegna NBC executives John Misner, Mark Casey and Patti Dennis knowingly & willfully chose to do to viewer favorite & 14 year, 12 News veteran Fay Fredricks, when they replaced her on-air with Vanessa Ruiz without so much as a word about Fredricks.

I’m sure the executives were banking on summer vacations, short memories or just thought it was ok to insult & demean their Tegna NBC 12 News loyal viewers with this poorly executed slight-of-on-air-hand. As previously stated this wasn’t the fault of Fredricks or Ruiz but solely on the station executives. Friday was Fay Fredricks last day on Tegna’s NBC 12 News where she wasn’t provided the opportunity to thank loyal viewers (station manipulation of facts while not recognizing the rights of others (Fredricks & loyal viewers).  ABC 15 Phoenix announced yesterday that they nabbed Fredricks to join their station.  Today Buzzfeed did what I refer to as a “planted” story/nonstory or as this site refers to it as #PRSpin to try and unethically make Vanessa Ruiz look like a victim (and technically she is under The Sociopathic Business Model™ but at the hands of her employers Tegna NBC 12 News and NOT Fredricks OR viewers).  Buzzfeed reporter Stephanie McNeal’s piece  This News Anchor Just Shut Down The Haters Who Criticized Her For Her Accent plays right into the hands of Tegna’s NBC 12 News likely (and suspected goal) of trying to get more Spanish-speaking viewers but not organically by earning their loyalty but by manipulating facts.  *It’s important to note the timing of the Buzzfeed story after Fay Fredricks was already gone, wouldn’t people have been complaining (if there were really complaints about Ruiz’s accent) for the last two weeks? Why make it a story now and not when it first happened? Hmmm, that seems like a manipulation of facts to me. 

#PRSpinUNSpun: 12 News has long been the staple for an affluent market & because executives often don’t know what they’re doing they may unethically place blame back on employees and or viewers without taking accountability for their own station’s failures (lower numbers and less ad revenue are just a few hypothetical examples.)  Again each station has the right to make changes but not at the expense of employees and viewers. It’s almost like Tegna NBC 12 News is trying to manipulate facts while potentially changing their formats (to possibly attract a larger Spanish speaking population) by inciting a race riot in Phoenix.  This isn’t about how Ruiz pronounces things (that’s not the same as saying racism doesn’t exist) it’s about the people of Phoenix not liking her, in part for lack of accountability much of that responsibility falls back on the executives at Tegna’s NBC 12 News (who should be fired) as they now try and what looks like are-launch  Ruiz at the expense of all Phoenix viewers.  This is especially offensive to people who have experienced real racism in the state as 12 News it appears is exploiting that pain for their potential profit.

It’s interesting to note how Vanessa Ruiz pronounces Los Angeles on air July 7, 2015, for NBC affiliate Channel 4 in Southern CA. which is inconsistent & contradictory* to her claim to “stay authentic,”:

“I don’t intend to come to Phoenix and do things ‘my way,’ however my goal is to stay authentic to who I am.”

They cited their station’s own news director (Sandra Kotzambasis) as a source for Ruiz hiding behind the fact that she hasn’t learned how to pronounce the names of the cities in Phoenix, this has nothing to do with race, accent or being “authentic,” it has everything to do with an inexperienced anchor placing blame & not taking accountability or being a professional victim; a point Ruiz made herself on film just earlier this summer with the English pronunciation for Los Angeles. And it’s quite possible she’s being manipulated by executives, who in an unethical trend, will often demand but never in writing suggest exaggerated rolling of R’s for example, to try and attract more Spanish-speaking viewers.  This is done for one reason and one reason only: station profits.   I think everyone should be authentic but the problem is does Ruiz know what that means or, more importantly, sounds like now? It’s also interesting that Ruiz didn’t like when the alleged* negative truth she’d rather remain hidden was exposed regarding her desire have Tegna’s NBC 12 News send her to the 2016 Olympics in Rio because she speaks the language, except she doesn’t. They speak Portuguese in Brazil NOT Spanish.  When Ruiz was forced accountable with the facts she chose to #Twitterblock.  It appears placing blame, not taking accountability and manipulating the facts while not recognizing the rights of others may be a trend at Tegna’s NBC 12 News.

It certainly would be unethical if the Tegna NBC 12 News executives decided to manipulate race issues in the Phoenix market just to grab more market share from Spanish viewers.  Fact-based evidence over time indicates unethical and possibly illegal behavior on the part of the executives who mishandled the anchor replacement; and, it’s clear to me that Ruiz is a pawn in a much larger game and all the more reason for me to #FollowFay over to ABC 15.  It’s up to each person reading this to read and apply the facts to help make the best decisions for yourself and or your family. The greater harm, as an employee who’s lived through this (in a different industry), is that this Case Study isn’t unique, it’s textbook.  The Sociopathic Business Model™ is a diagnostic tool to help employees identify the pathologically entrenched patterns of workplace abuse with the goal of creating positive change.  However, the lies we tell ourselves are always far worse than any ever told to us; and, if employees (past or present) blame each other the corrupt business model and the executives who use threats, fear and intimidation as means to control the negative truth, win at the expense of everyone else: employees, viewers, and advertisers. Under this model all employee accomplices eventually become employee victims regardless of industry; and, today it may be defending a former co-worker but tomorrow it will be fighting just as hard for one of your reading this now and it’s a matter of when not if. *thank you to readers who have provided more information that demonstrates more inconsistent & contradictory* language to action for a come complete Case Study.

Disclosure:  This story is written, like many others on this site, as a live Case Study to show patterns in workplace abuse/exposing unethical and or illegal behavior which is often a tactic used in The Sociopathic Business Model™ by companies who want to prevent their own negative truth from being exposed at the expense of patients, consumers, viewers, employees & taxpayers.  The points made are my own and not of anyone named in the story or NBC,  12 News Phoenix, AZ a Tegna Company.

UPDATED March 8, 2016:

November 14, 2014

Sandra Kotzambasis was the senior executive producer and promoted to news director of Phoenix NBC affiliate KPNX in November 2014.

“Sandra has earned this opportunity by demonstrating passion, flexibility, and the commitment to excellence that’s critical to the continued transformation of 12 News to serve our now and future audiences,” former News Director Mark Casey, who was promoted to VP & station manager, wrote in an email sent to staffers. “For the past three years, she’s been my partner as we’ve worked to both build our newscast ratings and develop the digital and social products that our customers expect. TV Spy

• Stunning. Congrats! I sure hope she has changed and learned from her earlier years in PHX. She acted as a vindictive, jealous, little child with no sense of how to manage people. Of course, that was the style of management required at the station at the time and still is. Maybe she has learned and has been humbled since that job. Only Time will tell.

@12News why did your graphics call Vanessa Ruiz—Vanessa Ramirez?

— Janine Kerr (@JanineKerr1) March 8, 2016

Wow, that mix-up ought to allow #ProfessionalVictim Vanessa Ruiz to cry racism about her employer this time. Too bad  Sandra Kotzambasis TEGNA NBC 12 News KPNX News Director announced to staff today she’s leaving and tearfully packed up her office, or else she could have helped Ruiz spin another false racism story.    It’s never good to see job loss; but, it was easily predicted by The Sociopathic Business Model™, as all employee accomplices eventually become employee victims especially when the station was focused on image over substance. False #RacismForRatings didn’t pan out for the station in the numbers game; and, the countdown to Misner’s demise? Well, pretty sure that’s already begun. And judging from the comments from the TV Spy, TEGNA, NBC, 12 News has a serious management problem, but readers here already suspected as much.

 

Mark Casey is a tyrant and runs all of the good employees away. They’ve been partners in crime for 3 years and rule the newsroom through fear and intimidation. The GM is too busy being a socialite to see through Casey’s BS. That’s probably why they’ve fallen from #1 to dead last. No one in their right mind would work under Kotzambasis as #2.