The women collectively have 100 years of experience in journalism, but in local television news that’s not necessarily been a good thing. The industry has a reputation for youth and looks on air. But now five women from New York City’s 24-hour news station, NY1 are suing their employer for age and gender discrimination claiming the older they get, the less time they’re seen on TV. The New York Times broke the story today writing:
The plaintiffs range in age from 40 to 61 and include Roma Torre, one of the channel’s longest-serving anchors. “We feel we are being railroaded out of the place,” Ms. Torre said in an interview. “Men age on TV with a sense of gravitas, and we as women have an expiration date.”
Sources connected to NY1 tell us it’s been tough for employees in general since Charter Communications took over. Several employees (men and women) have reportedly left the station due to the negative environment. What is unique about the women filing this lawsuit is they are still employed at NY1, taking the unusual step to fight this battle from the inside.
The women aren’t hiding behind the story either. They launched the Twitter account @UnseenWomenOnTV and posted a message on Medium today that goes for women in any profession:
We are fighting for any woman who has reached a certain age and has been intentionally marginalized, passed-over and deemed less relevant because of her age. We are fighting for any woman who found themselves signing a severance deal that felt more like hush money, rather than a genuine thank you for years of loyalty and hard work. We are fighting for our colleagues who see what is happening but do not dare speak up for fear of retribution. We are fighting for ourselves and we are fighting for all of them.
A Charter spokesperson reportedly said that they have not found any merit to the allegations.
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