Tamron Hall, the longtime NBC journalist and anchor, left the network amid chatter that she and Al Roker were being replaced by white counterparts. The National Association of Black Journalists has accused the network of “whitewashing” after replacing she and Al Roker’s slot with former Fox News host Megyn Kelly.
From the NABJ:
NBC has been a leader for diversity in broadcasting, but recent reports that Hall and Roker will be replaced by former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly are being seen by industry professionals as whitewashing.
Published reports suggest Kelly will be replacing “Today’s Takes,” the hour of programming led by Hall and Roker. Roker tweeted last week that the show leads the ratings in its time slot and consistently beats its competition. This achievement deserves praise, not punishment, as replacing talent often is associated with low ratings performance. Kelly has a well-documented history of offensive remarks regarding people of color. On The Kelly File, her Fox News show, the host said then-First Lady Michelle Obama’s commencement address at Tuskegee University pandered to a “culture of victimization.”
PEOPLE reports that an NBC spokesperson defended the shuffling via a statement and said it has been a leader in representing diverse voices in journalism. Hall issued a statement of her own and wished her former colleagues at the network well.
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