MONTREAL – Bell Media posted a statement on Twitter today stating there will be a third-party internal workplace review of its newsroom in the coming weeks.
“We’ve been dealing with a difficult and high profile change in recent days,” reads the statement, signed by Wade Oosterman, president of Bell Media and vice-chair of BCE and Bell as well as Karine Moses, senior vice-president of content development and news.
Oosterman and Moses were of course, referring to the departure of Lisa LaFlamme from her role at CTV’s chief news anchor and senior editor. “CTV regrets that the way in which the news of her departure had been communicated may have left viewers with the wrong impression about how CTV regards Lisa and her remarkable career,” the statement says.
LaFlamme posted a video on Twitter the day her departure was announced, in which she said she was “blindsided” and “shocked” by the decision to end her contract. Staff at CTV National News reportedly heard the news at the same time as the rest of the public.
LaFlamme’s departure has sparked a discussion online about the way women are treated in the industry, which itself prompted Moses to send an internal memo asserting that “as a female leader at Bell Media with many years of service, I also want you to know that my experiences have always been consistent with a positive, collaborative, and inclusive environment.”
Oosterman and Moses’ statement on Twitter today claims they “have always taken matters regarding any discrimination very seriously and are committed to a safe, inclusive and respectful work environment for all our employees, devoid of any toxic behaviour.”
