WPLG news chief Bill Pohovey blasts staff over social media posts
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A news station manager in Miami warned staff to stop sharing “stupid nonsense” on their social media accounts; It resurfaced after the news anchor’s bikini posts sparked debate about whether she violated policy.
In an internal memo, WPLG VP of News Bill Pohovey criticized his staff for influencer-like content that distracted from their journalistic mission: According to a report By FTVLive.
“I have emailed many times in the past about this issue, but we seem to be heading in the wrong direction again,” Pohovey wrote.
The note was reportedly released by WPLG presenter and reporter Jenise Fernandez, who shared a series of Instagram posts on her verified personal account, where she shared footage of her recent trip to Fiji with her nearly 28,000 followers. But the note was sent weeks ago, before the new pictures.
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Jenise Fernandez, an anchor and reporter at Miami ABC affiliate WPLG, reportedly shared images on her personal social media account showing her in a bikini while on vacation in Fiji. The posts came under scrutiny following reports about an internal memo regarding social media use by newsroom employees. (iStock)
The photos showed Fernandez wearing a fiery red bikini as she boarded a holiday boat and was captioned: “Now I know what it feels like to be in @cloud9_fiji.”
According to Fernandez’s statement station biographyShe had worked at the station since 2014 and was once crowned Miss Miami. She had also previously placed fourth in the Miss Florida Pageant.
In another series of photos, Fernandez is seen wearing the same bikini while leaning on a floating bar at the resort; In an additional post, he is seen raising a shot glass to toast with two friends.
While some reports stated that the note written by Pohovey was distributed after the posts were made to Fernandez’s account, Pohovey objected to this in his statement. New York Post.
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WPLG Studio Building in Miami, Florida. (iStock)
Pohovey told the press the memo was “not a response to a single post” [but rather] It’s just a reminder of long-standing rules.”
In a follow-up statement, Pohovey added: “This has nothing to do with the current employee. As I said, the note was sent months ago and is not new.”
He also told the New York Post that the photos did not violate his directive.
“The memo did not tell employees that they could not post vacation photos or other activities of daily living on their personal social pages,” he said in an email to the Post. “We live in Florida and people wear bikinis at the beach. These photos were tasteful and absolutely beautiful.”
The statement reportedly railed against the station’s current employees and reminded them that their public personas should not overshadow their roles as local journalists.
“Most of our social media accounts are used for stupid nonsense,” Pohovey wrote, according to FTVLive.
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WPLG Vice President of News Bill Pohovey reportedly reminded newsroom staff in an internal memo that journalists must maintain professional social media accounts. (iStock)
“We don’t want dance videos with our staff. We don’t want fashion shows, outfits of the day or any other ridiculous content that will negatively impact you as a journalist,” he added.
Pohovey also reportedly told staff they were not allowed to film social media content in the newsroom; This is a practice that has become common in news organizations across the country.
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“We should never produce this type of content, and we certainly should NEVER create this type of content within the station, in our newsroom, or in our studios, using our news set as a backdrop,” Pohovey wrote.
The vice president reportedly said staff should consider applying the same rules to personal social media accounts, adding, “Some of the things I’ve seen are embarrassing.”
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He later added: “People are losing trust in the news and the ‘fake news’ moniker is starting to take hold. It appears we are not serious and this unprofessional behavior only adds fuel to that fire.” “Likes and follows are not worth damaging your credibility and the credibility of this news organization.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Fernandez and Pohovey for comment.
