CBS 58 Photojournalist Who Quit Job Cites Lack Of Safety Concerns By Management

Eric Ellis

Photo: Facebook

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Photojournalist who abruptly quit CBS 58 for safety concerns goes public and released e-mail sent to other staff members.

By H. Nelson Goodson

September 12, 2013

Milwaukee, WI - On Wednesday, Eric Ellis, former CBS 58 WDJT-TV/Weigel Broadcasting photojournalist released an internal e-mail sent to all staff members at WDJT to Mediabistro dot com/TVSpy about his reason to quit CBS 58 on Tuesday. Ellis told TVSpy, "I no longer felt safe at work and I was very disappointed with the way that the station handled my attempted robbery."

Ellis claims that he was sent to the North side to cover an anti-violence rally alone, despite an earlier management e-mail assuring no one would be allowed to go alone and cover news reporting after another MMJ (Mobil Media Journalist) staff member had her iPhone stolen at a news coverage assignment.

When Ellis told management that some people had attempted to steal his equipment on September 4 at the same location where a female camera staffer had her iPhone stolen, management said that people were just messing with him and that next time he should video record the attempted robbery. Ellis disagreed, because video recording those attempting to steal from him would react and further endanger his life.
Ellis filed a police report about the attempted robbery and life threats that he received.

In his e-mail Ellis wrote, "I feel that the lack of care for the safety of photographers, reporters and MMJs at this station is appalling. I cannot work at a place where I constantly feel unsafe and am sent to unsafe areas alone."

Ellis told TVSpy that he will continue to do freelance work.

Ellis's recent safety incident concern comes within weeks that a CBS 58 African-American female Anchor and a Telemundo 63 male Anchor had previously filed discrimination claims with the EEOC and decided to expose alleged discrimination practices and patterns of bias treatment by CBS 58/Weigel Broadcasting management towards them.