Washingtonian Piece on Cami McCormick

[NewsStud]

Cronkite was. So, were Collingwood, Sevareid, Hottelet and Smith among others. But they were UniPressers and there aren't any left.

They're dead. And weren't actively working for decades. Who today, in your mind, is a journalist? Or, perhaps you'd like to answer this question: What makes the Collingwoods and Sevareids different from the McCormicks and Doziers?

Bull. Get hired on affirmative action. Yell "discrimination" if you get fired; or "glass ceiling" if you don't get that promotion. Flirt with the boss for special treatment. And with co-workers to get them to do your work for you. And take off while the guys keep working because you should "have it all." I've run into a few exceptions. Mostly the other women ostracized those with a strong work ethic. Coffee? Where are you? 1960? Tell me, does repeating the femi-nazi line and "feeling their pain" help you score?

Help me score? You're a vile boy. I'm a respected member of my newsroom. I'm also a married man and a father of daughters. I don't "score" with my co-workers. I have female colleagues who have earned my respect for their hard work and dedication, and often, their sacrifices. I cringe when I watch certain supervisors, who are male, relegate these professional ladies to duties such as fetching coffee - yes, in the 2014. Many of them endure it out of fear complaining will get them blacklisted. A good number of them are strong enough emotionally to realize that one day they'll be the big name in the building and eating the crap was, well, a step they decided to take.

Nobody's getting hired by affirmative action, and the only "discrimination" cases I've been privy to are when these professional women learn they've been earning far less than men with the same amount of experience, credentials, and years of service. And THAT happens all the time.

I've been in this business a long time. You've demonstrated you haven't. Stop spewing bile. You want to know what it's like to work in the big leagues? I'm happy to share experiences. Otherwise, keep your disillusioned fanboy nastiness to yourself.

 

[FredLeonard]

Boy, you call yourself "Stud" and you spout the same old, same old femi-nazi cliches. Equal pay for equal work. Nobody's allowed to question whether the work is, in fact, equal. Glass ceiling. Waaa, they promoted him instead of me. So what if he stayed late and came early, accepted transfers, skipped vacations and basically gave his life to the company; I am entitled to have it all. Women fetch coffee? Doesn't CND have an HR department? Besides, I thought CBS was union. If anything, women do not hesitate to complain - about most anything.

Julie Chen is the poster girl for how women get ahead in broadcasting.

 

[NewsStud]

Boy, you call yourself "Stud" and you spout the same old, same old femi-nazi cliches. Equal pay for equal work. Nobody's allowed to question whether the work is, in fact, equal. Glass ceiling. Waaa, they promoted him instead of me. So what if he stayed late and came early, accepted transfers, skipped vacations and basically gave his life to the company; I am entitled to have it all. Women fetch coffee? Doesn't CND have an HR department? Besides, I thought CBS was union. If anything, women do not hesitate to complain - about most anything.

Julie Chen is the poster girl for how women get ahead in broadcasting.

Turn down Rush for just a moment. I like his program, too. But turn it down and try to concentrate on what I write. Comprehend it.

My silly moniker (that's "pseudonym" for a Rio Linda resident like yourself. Oh never mind, Just pretend I used "fake name".) allows me to post anonymously. The boss doesn't like it when we post with our names as we are very connected to our employer's name. (Ask Anthony Cumia how that can be an issue.)

I gave you no such cliches. I offered perspective. I'll try it again, simpler than in my last attempt: Those women, who endured such practices, opted to ignore them. They chose to work though it, thinking and hoping that one day their hard work would pay off; that they would succeed and be lauded for their self-motivated success. They chose not to get bogged down in corporate or legal proceedings, which might not benefit their careers in the long run.

Who's talking about Julie Chen? We're talking about the McCormicks and the Doziers. Pay attention. You still haven't responded to that question.

And as far as I'm concerned, if they're doing the same jobs and producing the same outcome, why not pay them equally? So, they get a maternity leave? I'm not threatened by it. Why are you?

Respond only if you have something relevant, thoughtful and coherent to express. If all you can do is fling more sophomoric barbs implying emasculation, don't bother. You're apparently not even equipped to do it humorously.

 

[FredLeonard]

Somewhere among the insults you asked for a response. OK. I have shared my experiences. You shared yours (I'll take your word for it). Your experience doesn't fit mine. I see many (not all) women in the workplace wanting and getting special treatment. You don't. I don't see "equal work" much of the time (exceptions noted). You do. I don't listen to Rush; you do. I don't accept the gospel of political correctness; apparently you do.

You talk about women getting coffee for their bosses as some kind of gender oppression. Other valid interpretations are possible. Like voluntarily sucking up to the boss. In any case, instead of standing up for themselves (as boys are taught to do), these women have gotten you stand up for them - if only on an anonymous message board. Meanwhile, they play victim. This doesn't sound at all equal.

Unlike some, maybe you, I don't believe in double standards. I grew up believing discrimination of any kind was wrong, even when it supposedly worked in my favor. I'm certainly not going to embrace it (as you seem to be doing) when it works against me.

 

[NewsStud]

Somewhere among the insults you asked for a response. OK. I have shared my experiences. You shared yours (I'll take your word for it). Your experience doesn't fit mine. I see many (not all) women in the workplace wanting and getting special treatment. You don't. I don't see "equal work" much of the time (exceptions noted). You do. I don't listen to Rush; you do. I don't accept the gospel of political correctness; apparently you do.

You talk about women getting coffee for their bosses as some kind of gender oppression. Other valid interpretations are possible. Like voluntarily sucking up to the boss. In any case, instead of standing up for themselves (as boys are taught to do), these women have gotten you stand up for them - if only on an anonymous message board. Meanwhile, they play victim. This doesn't sound at all equal.

Unlike some, maybe you, I don't believe in double standards. I grew up believing discrimination of any kind was wrong, even when it supposedly worked in my favor. I'm certainly not going to embrace it (as you seem to be doing) when it works against me.

Stop inverting things. I responded to your comments, which were factually wrong. I then asked you to clarify something you wrote. You responded by accusing me of sucking up to female colleagues in order to "score" with them.

This has nothing to do with political correctness. You accused all women in journalism (and this thread began by discussing an article written about Cami McCormick) of using their gender to unfairly push their way to the top. You first did that by suggesting Lara Logan's career was the result of something less than honest. And then you named Julie Chen, who indeed married the boss at CBS. There are countless women, on and off the air, at all the networks, who have honest careers and who do work on the same level of competency as the men.

I doubt you actually work in the field. I do. And my experience has been that it's been harder for women in journalism to be taken seriously, and many chose not file complaints and would rather tough it out, proving they don't need special assistance. It's part of the territory. It's a career field where bravery and brazenness are badges. Running to HR when their male bosses stare at their chests wouldn't earn them peer respect.

Nobody's ever asked me to stand up for them, and certainly relating these tales anonymously couldn't count. These are strong, competent women who can chose what to do in their own lives. They don't need my help. Furthermore, I would be demeaning them if I took it upon myself to do so.

And as for these "double standards" you speak of? What? Maternity Leave? Maybe you're the one left in 1960.

Take the last word if you wish. I won't be going in circles with you.

 

[FredLeonard]

> And as for these "double standards" you speak of? What? Maternity Leave? Maybe you're the one left in 1960.

That was about the time the FDA approved "the pill." If anybody wants to work, they should not be taking maternity leave. And they should not expect that if they take time off, to get promoted over somebody who stayed on the job.

It's surprising for one who presents himself as a professional "journalist" to so easily confuse his opinion with facts.

> It's a career field where bravery and brazenness are badges.

More like recklessness and grandstanding. That's why news has become show business for those without the talent and dedication of actual performing artists. My misguided journalism professors seem to think the job was about "accuracy, accuracy and accuracy" (Joseph Pulitzer). Lara is back on the job. So, apparently Fager does value recklessness (and good looks) more than accuracy.

 

[umfan]

She works for CBS. Westwood One, particularly on America in the Morning, derives their reports from CBS.

She is a fine reporter. I wasn't aware she had been hurt. They darn well should have her back. Apparently Lara Logan is back as well. I saw her last week.