Omar SachedinaB次元官网网址檚 promotion to chief anchor at CTV National B次元官网网址 should have been a win for representation in Canadian media, but observers say the controversy surrounding his predecessor Lisa LaFlammeB次元官网网址檚 departure overshadowed a momentous occasion.
It was B次元官网网址渁 stolen momentB次元官网网址� in which both a decorated woman and an accomplished man of colour have been robbed of significant benchmarks in their careers, said Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists.
B次元官网网址淭his should be something that was being celebrated,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淎nd yet, unfortunately, the synchronizing of the announcements doesnB次元官网网址檛 do him as much service as it could.B次元官网网址�
Bell Media issued a press release Monday saying that after 35 years LaFlamme was leaving the broadcaster. Less than half an hour later, Sachedina was named as her replacement.
The ousted lead anchor turned to social media where she said in a video she was first informed of the decision on June 29, adding she felt B次元官网网址渂lindsidedB次元官网网址� by what was described by executives as a B次元官网网址渂usiness decision.B次元官网网址�
For LaFlamme, she lost a career milestone when she was pulled from the airwaves without an official sign-off on the CTV broadcast she led for more than a decade.
The gravity of SachedinaB次元官网网址檚 new position in the upper ranks of Canadian television was also diminished.
He is an experienced political reporter of Indian descent from Uganda taking the helm at CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most-watched evening newscast, but that was largely buried in the controversy around LaFlammeB次元官网网址檚 sudden ousting from the network.
Sachedina marched through appearances on Bell Media-owned channels where the interviewers largely avoided the controversy around his appointment, while he spoke optimistically about the future of the newscast.
Neither LaFlamme nor Sachedina responded to requests for comment. Bell Media did not respond to questions about its handling of the announcement.
Nana aba Duncan, an associate professor and Carty Chair of Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies at Carleton University, said the announcement was handled poorly and tossed Sachedina into a position where heB次元官网网址檇 face heightened scrutiny.
B次元官网网址淣ow thereB次元官网网址檚 this added pressure that this person is maybe being put there for a diversity reason, and thatB次元官网网址檚 unfair to him,B次元官网网址� she said.
LaFlamme also didnB次元官网网址檛 get the respect she deserves, Duncan said.
Usually, an outgoing anchor would have the chance to say goodbye to their viewers in a live sign-off, along with a retrospective on their work. It happened when Peter Mansbridge was afforded nearly a year of runway before he signed off at CBC while Lloyd Robertson was toasted for more than 40 years at CTV when he retired in 2011.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 usually time, and that time wasnB次元官网网址檛 taken here,B次元官网网址� Duncan said. B次元官网网址淭o me, it shows a lack of care and fairness for both of them.B次元官网网址�
Leaders need to be aware that employees are becoming more conscious of how theyB次元官网网址檙e being treated B次元官网网址� or mistreated B次元官网网址� in the workplace, Duncan said.
Employers need to recognize a younger generation of journalists are coming into the job more attuned to mental health in the workplace and less likely to accept B次元官网网址渢hatB次元官网网址檚 just how it isB次元官网网址� reasoning, she added.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not just in journalism, but everywhere,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淧eople who are going into the workforce are looking for their employers to care B次元官网网址� not just to say that they care, but to genuinely show it in some way. And this flies in the face of that.B次元官网网址�
However, Duncan said she remains hopeful that progress can be made in journalism.
B次元官网网址淲e have to change it systemically,B次元官网网址� she added.
B次元官网网址淎nd that means folks at the top have to start thinking about how people are brought on and how people leave.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擠avid Friend, The Canadian Press
