I spoke to 12 current & former Global News employees who described a culture of racist microaggressions & retaliation for speaking out. They say the company laid off some of its most vocal critics while promising to do better on diversity. My latest: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jgx4ek/in-the-midst-of-a-race-reckoning-global-news-laid-off-some-of-its-most-vocal-internal-critics

In July, Corus Entertainment, Global’s parent company, laid off an undisclosed number of people, stating its site would no longer support lifestyle journalism and was focusing on "objective journalism." https://twitter.com/jsource/status/1286362832607510529?s=20

I’ve obtained emails and recordings that show behind closed doors, members of the lifestyle team were confronting senior management about the company’s shortcomings on race, including its editorial coverage and a lack of accountability for mistakes.

Employees also described a retaliatory environment. One said they were called into HR to "discuss the ways in which I am racist to white men." Others alleged they were threatened with termination or were passed over for job opportunities for pushing back internally.

. @theikawong, a former ET Canada correspondent, said Corus didn't tell her she was entitled to bill for travel days and prep time totalling more than $21,000. She said she was instructed to give a segment on racism a “positive twist" and nearly everyone she worked w/ was white

When I sent Corus my questions, Troy Reeb, EVP of broadcast networks, suggested to my editor that it would be unethical for me to report this story because two of my friends were laid off and I've been critical of Global's reporting in the past. He cited CAJ's ethics guidelines.

Corus said it has hired an external firm to make recommendations for how it can address its racism issues. In a video, Corus president Doug Murphy quoted Martin Luther King Jr. and signed the Black North anti-Black racism pledge. Here is Corus' executive leadership team:

there is a lot more in the story, which comes at a time when media companies across the board are facing a reckoning over their shortcoming on race. As always, I am open to tips via DM, email, Signal etc.