ABC News president Kim Godwin resigned under pressure after she was found to have “bad-mouthed” her new boss, a move that echoed bad decisions including last week’s botched firing of weather forecaster Rob Marciano. It was the “final coup de grace” for the “collective body” of the United States, the Post reported.
Godwin, the first Black person to lead a major network news division, resigned on Sunday, ending a chaotic period marked by a number of public gaffes that led Disney to hire veteran executive Debra O’Connell in February. This brought an end to his three-year term.
“She was badmouthing Debra. That was the last straw,” an ABC source told The Post on Monday.
Mr. O’Connell’s promotion was effectively a demotion for Mr. Godwin, and he was still given a three-year extension by Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Disney is scheduled to report earnings on Tuesday, but Mr. Iger did not want to be drawn into questions about Godwin, another person familiar with the matter told the Post.
She left suddenly after a blister Last Friday’s coverage by News Agency Pack He claimed Godwin had berated Mr O’Connell as a “colleague” over a recent dinner in New York.
The day before, CNN reported Godwin is “in a tough spot” and “undergoing a leadership review” from O’Connell, but he is surprised by Godwin’s mismanagement of divisions that include top-rated shows “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.” It is said that
“They decided on Friday night that she would pull the trigger,” a second source said. “They negotiated a settlement.”
Financial terms and compensation of her three-year contract were not disclosed.
ABC News declined to comment. Godwin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sources told the Post that a series of events, including the Marciano incident, and negative feedback about the boss from fellow black employees helped Disney sharpen its ax.
“Debra already knew that Kim was putting her down,” the source said, adding that upper management was upset when they learned there was no one in the building who supported Godwin. He added that it was true.
The source cited a report by Pack that said Godwin “uses racial issues to protect himself from criticism and builds a narrative around his seemingly inevitable departure.” The report also included interviews with black journalists at the station who were concerned about this.
ABC News’ Black Veteran said, “Racism in the workplace is so subtle that it can easily be used as a weapon by all sides of any race and by bad actors.”
“Disney fell into the trap of low expectations and mild bias and appointed someone who everyone knew was not qualified for the job…now [they] They’re worried that firing the first black woman would be an act of racism when she’s simply not good at her job. ”
The National Association of Black Journalists came to Godwin’s full defense Saturday. The organization claimed that Godwin supporters within the network were silenced.
“These supporters have told NABJ that the attacks made through media coverage are “racially motivated” or a response to her lack of participation in what some in the industry refer to as the “good old athlete network.” “We believe this is a reaction,” the group wrote. In a press release.
One person familiar with the matter said the press release angered senior management, prompting Mr. Godwin’s departure date.
Godwin also said at multiple staff meetings that “Black people don’t watch the news,” and said that in the wake of George Floyd’s killing at the hands of police, news networks “overcompensated for the lack of diversity in leadership.” He is also reported to have complained, ”
“Quite the opposite,” a second source told the Post. “This shows a fundamental lack of knowledge on the part of the audience, and that’s a problem.”
“On the bright side, a long national nightmare is over.”
Employees are bracing for further restructuring after Godwin’s departure, with one source adding, “The worst is yet to come.”
As previously reported by the Post, some sources say the former president’s top aide Jose Andino, vice president of the Office of Presidential and Process Management, and editor-in-chief and senior vice president Stacia Desischuk , executive vice president Derek Medina.
“We’re talking about the decline of news, but watching these three over the last three years is like watching the three hyenas pick up Mufasa’s carcass in The Lion King,” the source said. He spoke about his three lieutenants.
“Mediocrity hides in the shadow of obscurity, and in this case, it’s not just hidden, it’s thriving within ABC News’ leadership ranks,” the source added.
Sources say that in recent days, Godwin’s poor decisions have come back to haunt her. Marciano, a former “Good Morning America” weather forecaster, was fired over alleged anger issues.
A year ago, Marciano was “banned” from the set of “GMA” for making a co-worker feel uncomfortable. Instead of firing Marciano, Godwin transferred him to World News Tonight and had him send a report to GMA, a move that officials said prolonged the problem. Ta.
The move is reminiscent of Godwin’s mishandling of the relationship between “GMA3” hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach, who were allowed to continue on the air even after reports of their romance became public. was.
Mr O’Connell was also reportedly shocked that Mr Godwin had failed to replace the station’s head of talent, Galen Gordon, more than a year after firing him. She also wasn’t happy that ABC News lost Washington bureau chief Jonathan Greenberger to Politico months before the historic presidential election.
