Fired!

By Lucius Gantt

The firing of CBS "60 Minutes" journalist Scott Pelley touched my heart.

I appeared on a CBS news show with home run king Henry Aaron.

There were so many reporters seeking comments from Aaron, "The Hammer", who only did press conferences as he got closer and closer to breaking Babe Ruth's home run record.

But two days before the record-breaking season began, Aaron agreed to allow two reporters to interview him at the same interview session, Heywood Hale Broun, CBS News, and Lucius Gantt, The Associated Press.

Let me show you how God works. Broun was snowed in in New York City and CBS asked AP if their Atlanta camera crew could record the interview and AP said yes.

The interview appeared on CBS news. The video focused on Aaron but the television network did show my face for two or three seconds.

No problem. I was happy to be on CBS News if only for a few seconds.

Another CBS part of my life was my relationship with Ed Bradley, a 60 Minutes reporter for many years.

Bradley and I were in the same Black Media organization in Washington, D.C.

We also had the same "sack man", and that's all I'll say about that.

In regard to the CBS news firings, long time journalist realize there are no more Walter Cronkites or John Chancellors who will be doing network newscasts in their late 70s.

I and other journalists know that media companies will replace you at the drop of a hat!

Today, most journalist get replaced because of salaries. Companies believe your high salary is unnecessary when you get paid hundred thousands of dollars to report news when they can find someone else to report news for half the price.

I don't like the way Donald Trump desires to control American news outlets. Free Speech means nothing to Trump. If you comment on Trump's alleged, or seemingly, corruption, his failed military, law enforcement, social, and foreign policies.

He will threaten media owners.

Rumor is Paramount, who owns CBS News and wants to purchase Warner Brothers, can only make a deal if Trump and his administration agrees to the deal.

Don't take my word for it, but media company owners don't know a damn thing about news coverage.

Big news outlets like CBS News usually have a storied history of covering news worthy events.

The reporters covering the news for news and public affairs teams under my direction, were told to "bring me the facts"!

I didn't want rumors, innuendos, theories, and guesses on my new shows.

I just wanted facts! I wanted truthful news reports.

Before Trump and his political puppets, news companies like The Associated Press would fire you, or transfer you, if your reports were wrong or late.

News and sports coverage today is nothing like it was before news reporters had smart phones and computers. AP writers had to be "first" and "correct".

For example, I had to report my baseball coverage as a "story" in the seventh inning. If, for instance, someone hit a winning home run in the ninth inning, the "lead" was changed at the New York office before being sent out over the AP wire service.

The other way reporters were terminated occured when white writers said, "We don't want to work with him."

If you were good, you got transfered. If not, you were terminated.

As a young journalist, I didn't know if I would work in the industry for 5 years or 50 years.

I had a long and memorable media career, and for that, I truly feel blessed.

I am proud of the stance that Pelly and other journalists take when their rights to cover news and excercise free speech is denied them.

At the same time, I'm thankful I had the opportunities to do the work that I love to do.

TGR supports Scott Pelley and others who are not afraid to stand up and speak out about what is right.

Continue to enjoy the truth!