WJAX | WFOX

Racial Discrimination, An Overall Toxic Work Environment

Lisa Blegen is the ND of Action News Jax, please understand she operates the station through extreme scare tactics and lies alongside two specific colleagues to whom she knows from previous markets. She is close with Austin McCollum (Morning EP) and Anthony Colarossi (Managing Editor, he’s the worst one. Run if he is still employed). Together they are a triple threat in the worst way imaginable, you will experience daily verbal and emotional attacks from all of them. If one doesn’t like you then all three don’t like you. Under their management the station has lost more than 20 employees in a years time span. Almost half have been reporters who broke their contracts after a year or so like myself. The other half were AP’s, producers, directors and photogs that ran out the door and into the station of our #1 competitor, News4Jax. Lisa, Austin and Anthony will assign you daily task that are designed to make you fail. If you go to this station make sure to keep a paper trail of everything you say/do and everything they say/do. Together they have a history of targeting people, good and hardworking people until they’re out. Then they wonder why they are always *severely* short staffed.

This market is absolutely fantastic when it comes to walking away with a fantastic reel. However, the station itself has a long history of burning people out of the station and the news business. Please do not let that become you, apply elsewhere.

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

The biggest thing that stands out about this station is that you are NOT assigned to a show, you’re placed *as needed.* I came in with 3 years of experience and was TOLD I would be producing a show Monday-Friday. I got here, “trained” (barely trained with anyone) and then they slapped me on the hour long 10P show without me even having shadowed the producer at the time. I have been doing the weekend shows for over a year now. However, I have been vocal about my experience, I have brought up what was PROMISED to me during my interviews, but management keeps saying, “that’s not where we need/want you.” There are currently producers RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE who have a Monday-Friday shift. I have been yelled at in front of the newsroom by managers over things that I didn’t do. For example, A reporter put their script in ENPS, I didn’t notice because I was working on another part of my show, the manager began SCREAMING at me saying I shouldn’t be putting in scripts that aren’t approved. We went back in the script to see who edited it last (the reporter did). The manager did NOT apologize. Management also does NOT communicate with anyone. Many times I’ll go in for the workday and be doing something completely different because management failed to communicate about changes. Overall, until management does a shake up I would NOT recommend coming here. They’re going to work you with NO training and feed you lies just to get you to sign the contract.

This station is heavily research based. There are good people here but it’s overshadowed by the absolutely TRASH management.

Think twice before accept a contract here.