FOX-2 doubles down on story with explicit comments about Whitmer’s looks

FOX-2 spent the day getting dragged on social media for its bizarre story featuring random commentators leering at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s appearance, often in explicit detail, during her first State of the State speech.

But on Thursday evening, the station refused to apologize and instead doubled down.

That was after the governor weighed in Thursday afternoon with three tweets calling the story “way out of line” and noting “women have to deal with this garbage all the time.” Whitmer concluded by telling women, “I’ve got your back.”

Boys have teased me about my curves since 5th grade. My mom said “hold your head high and don’t let it bother you.”

That @Fox2News story was way out of line.

I’m tough, I can take it.

— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) February 14, 2019

Until then, I’ve got a message for all of the women and girls like mine who have to deal with garbage like this every day: I’ve got your back.

— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) February 14, 2019

So here’s what happened. When I read the story Thursday morning, I could hardly believe that anyone in newsroom management (or with an ounce of common sense) would think that was a good idea in 2019. So I wrote a column that it was sexist and sleazy clickbait, while pretending to be high-minded:

The story features a dude on Facebook who lewdly congratulated the governor — who served 14 years in the Legislature, holds a law degree, and taught at the University of Michigan Ford School for Public Policy — for her “nice rack.”

Stay classy, guys.

Naturally, the FOX-2 story pretends to be somewhat high-minded with this lede: “Gov. Gretchen Whitmer emphasized infrastructure, education and water in her first State of the State speech.” That’s a popular technique for outlets writing about sleazy subjects for clicks while still trying to maintain journalistic credibility.

Things kind of took off from there on social media. A number of elected officials, including state House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering), who often opposes the Democratic governor’s agenda, criticized the FOX-2 story.

Chatfield tweeted it was “ridiculous & never should have given these losers a platform to make these inappropriate statements. Her speech was what mattered! I support her 100% on this!” He even ended with #MyGovernor in a show of unity.

https://twitter.com/LeeChatfield/status/1096172536667271169

State Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) called the story “cringeworthy” and told FOX-2 to “do better”:

Cringeworthy is right. Do better @FOX2News. https://t.co/xBVWfUH3wl via @michiganadvance

— Senator Dayna Polehanki (@SenPolehanki) February 14, 2019

FOX-2 management stayed silent for most of the day, although the reporter dismissed criticism on social media from others and me, even calling former longtime Detroit Free Press journalist Hugh McDiarmid Jr. “a troll.”

Trolls getting angry when other trolls get called out… huh 🤔

— Erika Erickson (@FOX2Erika) February 14, 2019

By the afternoon, national media took notice, like CBS digital White House reporter Kathryn Watson, who asked the station why they would print “sexist, anonymous speculation”:

https://twitter.com/kathrynw5/status/1096089112317251585

Huffington Post Senior Reporter Emily Peck said the story was an example of “when calling out ‘sexism’ is actually just being sexist”:

https://twitter.com/EmilyRPeck/status/1096125553948659712

The Washington Post printed a column about the story and Whitmer’s clapback, and several other national and state media ran stories, including the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.

On Thursday evening, News Director Kevin Roseborough finally responded.

While defending the story that featured anonymous comments about the governor “showing off her cans,” Roseborough said the station was “taken aback” by the “inappropriate” comments and cast the decision to do the story as a noble one.

“We chose not to ignore the comments, and to instead examine them through person-on-the-street interviews and an expert’s opinion on the double standard faced by female leaders. This is not a subject that should be turned away from.”

Roseborough ended by saying the station has “extended an invitation to the governor to talk to us about this further.”

I’m sure she’ll get right on that.