Tegna accused of ‘broad pattern of bias and racially-insensitive behavior’

A new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing concerning Tegna includes accusations of “broad pattern of bias and racially-insensitive behavior” that were shared with the media company by its largest active shareholder.

The allegations in Thursday’s filing were made in a “six-page, single-spaced letter” given to shareholder Standard General, which in turn shared them with Tegna.

The document was filed with the SEC by Standard General in preparation for Tegna’s annual shareholders meeting scheduled for May 7.

The allegations include an incident of a Tegna employee, who’s now a vice president, wearing blackface while dressed as Michael Jackson at a company event in the 1980s. They also referenced image consultants advising Asian reporters how to use makeup so their eyes looked more “Western” and requiring “Latinx employees to disclose their own immigration status when broadcasting about such issues.” The letter did not mention how recently those two instances or practices occurred.

When asked about the allegations, a company spokesperson said improving diversity, equity and inclusion at Tegna is a top priority for the company.

“We have made significant progress in recent years, but our record is not perfect,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “However, the distorted picture of Tegna and its stations painted by Standard General to advance its ill-conceived proxy fight will not distract from our significant focus on DE&I [diversity, equity and inclusion] as well as our strong financial performance.”

The filing comes against the backdrop of a proxy battle between Tegna and Standard General, a hedge fund that owns a 7 percent stake in Tegna, according to a separate SEC filing.

“Tegna’s Board of Directors, management team and station leadership continue to take concerted action to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive Tegna — all of which is publicly detailed,” the spokesperson added. “We have clear processes for promptly investigating and addressing inappropriate workplace conduct at all levels of the organization. We remain committed to ensuring that Tegna effectively serves and represents all of our communities.”

Other alleged incidents in the letter include Black and Latino on-air talent being “hammered” for their “dialect” and a marketing executive promoting the use of purple graphics that “African American audiences might enjoy.”

“Hopefully, your team can look into this and get Tegna cleaned up from the top. That is where the problem is and will remain unless exposed. This is 2021, yet the roots of racist behavior within Tegna/Gannett are ugly and run deep. The information is 100% accurate and fairly easy to verify. Good luck,” the letter concluded.

In 2015, Gannett spun off Tegna as a separate public company.

The filing comes less than a month after media attorney and consultant Adonis Hoffman withdrew himself from the bid to be nominated as a board member for Tegna, citing an incident where CEO Dave Lougee assumed he was a hotel valet, and also potential conflicts of interest.

Tegna owns more than 60 local television stations in the U.S. and several other media properties.

—Update at 4:27 p.m.