Tegna Managers Lose Their Shit (Patreon)

FTVLive told you that when Tegna General Managers told their staff that they would be furloughed, the GM's were reading off a script that was provided by corporate. 

Now, many GM's and managers are holding follow up meetings and it is not going well. 

At Tegna's First Coast News in Jacksonville, General Manager Rob Mennie voiced his displeasure at how quickly details of his furlough meeting got out to the local paper and FTVLive. 

In a follow-up meeting with the staff, Mennie says that he was trying to be transparent in the furlough meeting and all his staff meetings, but then said, "There is a part on me that has sat back and said do I want to continue to be transparent when I know that within minutes after we got on a call on Monday, the Times-Union (Jacksonville's paper) was talking to our people." 

Tegna was telling people not to share information about the furloughs on social media or talking to media outside the company. Hmmmm? That doesn't sound that transparent...does it? 

Mennie then added, "If you did share it, I hope you feel bad and decide not to do it again." 

He then went one to say he, "could care less about the articles" which he obviously does care about. 

Another Tegna General Manager told a news manager, " we weren't even done with the (furlough) conference call and the story was on fucking FTVLive!" 

Up at Tegna's WUSA, the staff was told that when they are furloughed, they are to post nothing work related to their social media. 

"Don't post about stories, don't retweet stories, while you are furloughed," the staff was told by WUSA's HR department. 

Many pushed back saying that since this is their personal social media, they should be able to share what they want. 

Say you are furloughed the week that Donald Trump tests positive for the coronavirus, are you not allowed to post about that because you have been furloughed? 

Are you supposed to ignore that story and post a picture of the ham sandwich you just made instead? 

A number of WUSA news staffers pushed back at the orders from HR. Station Manager Michael Valentine then told the staff he will look into it.

The bottom line is this, Tegna can't hold meetings with Journalists and not expect to get asked some tough questions or for Journalists not to talk to other Journalists. 

Tegna claims that they did not want the news of the furloughs out, because it would look callus to the people that have lost their jobs. 

Bullshit! Tegna didn't want the news to get out, because it looks bad to Tegna, who so far is the only TV media company to furlough their workers. 

As Rob Mennie said in his last meeting with the staff, "I try really, really hard to walk in the door and be as transparent as I can be." 

Maybe Tegna should be the same way with their viewers. 

Just saying...