Station's Ratings
News Dirctors
Marybeth Jacoby
Very toxic. Seems not to truly understand how news works despite being in News for years. Tears people down on a daily basis, then doesn't understand why no one is happy.
An Overall Toxic Work Environment
Marybeth and her #2 Mary Bullard seem to take pride in tearing people down. They tag team everyone until people quit or are overly unhappy . They tell you they emailed you or talked to you about things, but they never have, and then are upset you're not on the same page. They set unrealistic expectations, then jump on you for not achieving them. The GM is aware of all of this, but does nothing to stop the toxicity.
Stay away. A good Gray stepping stone market to get to bigger markets, but not worth the headache.
Kelly Boan
Generally positive
An Overall Toxic Work Environment
Managers like to rail on staff for mistakes, but hardly ever grant praise. Not creative, do not want to touch investigative pieces that require deep dives. While focus on digital is good, the web team already busts their butts and barely gets any affirmation. Sports department is literally only two people, which is a crying shame for market 38. Reporters and photogs are often forced to just repeat stories from earlier in the week. It's really all management, namely morning EP Stefanie Quaal. Biggest sins? Constant texting and emailing, treating newsroom staff like they're incompetent. This has forced out good talent and rising stars into other careers, stations, or even out of the business entirely.
The newsroom staff is a family, but I'd bet that if a round robin were taken, there'd be mutiny at FOX Carolina. Management has bright spots with staff, but they can push staff past the breaking point with constant texts and emails...while staff is usually working on the assignment they're being bothered about, and staff gets chided for not IMMEDIATELY responding to a text...while working. If Meredith wants this station to really do better on air and on digital, they need to bring in leaders, not middlemen. The morale at the station is at best indifferent, at worst ready to tear it down.
Kelly Boan
Passive aggressive leader who is a workaholic, fosters a negative environment through poor leadership from the top down
An Overall Toxic Work Environment
Where do I begin. There’s a reason in the last 7 months our two female anchors (morning and night), 2 anchor/reporters, 2 MMJ’s and a sports anchor all left the station. It should also be noted several of them left mid contract. This place is a breeding ground for toxicity. The problem starts from the top down. The news director has a “her way or the highway” attitude. She believes comparing talent to each other breeds success when it actually breeds anxiety and a lack of confidence. She doesn’t address inherent problems within the newsroom like the bully she’s assigned to run it. I’m referring to the assistant ND who disrespects everyone in the newsroom with her outbursts and her demeaning remarks. People are treated like numbers and not people. They say safety is a priority in the field yet they make reporters knock on doors of criminals after they’ve been released on bond by themselves. They hire inexperienced journalists, throw them to the wolves and the berate them when they’ve messed up. The ND doesn’t care about people’s family, time or well-being. God forbid you take a sick day, when you return you’ll get the silent treatment. If you bring a problem or concern to the news director or AND, don’t expect a solution. They will continue to say “that’s the way it is” and bury it. It also should be noted the station is all about “click bait” when it comes to story choices for the newscasts. There’s very little enterprise or investigative journalism going on and don’t even ask about politics. The poor MMJ’s and reporters who end up having to cover a big political story never have the sources to do so because the station management barely listens to story pitches that have anything to do with what actually impacts people. Also, it should be noted the only reporters who EVER get a photographer are the morning reporters. The MMJ’s nightside run their own live shots. There is no feedback whatsoever, positive or negative. So if you’re looking to grow, it won’t happen here. Just felt the need to write this after reading the “glowing review” someone wrote on this website. Ask most people who work there or have worked there and they’ll tell you first hand there’s valid reasons FOX Carolina is in the middle of a mass exodus right now.
