Milwaukee's NBC affiliate television station offered local black-owned businesses the opportunity to appear on its morning show during Black History Month, but the offer was limited to a $1,000 payment, which led to some rejections. It caused a feeling of pleasure.
WTMJ-TV sent a marketing email to several area black business owners offering them the opportunity to appear on TMJ4's daily lifestyle program, “The Morning Blend,” which airs weekdays at 9 a.m.
The email included a Black History Month graphic that noted how important it was for the program to focus on Black-owned businesses in February.
The attachment reads, “For The Morning Blend, Black History Month is an opportunity for us to highlight Black-owned businesses, celebrate their contributions, promote diversity, amplify voices, tell their stories, and support our communities. It is important to promote inclusivity and understanding.”
Business owners who pay the fee get a copy of the segment. “This is a great opportunity to tell your story and share it with members of our community,” the attachment read.
The company suggested the “investment” would be $1,000, but the email said this was a discounted price.
“If they're going to invite us to celebrate Black History Month, they shouldn't charge us a fee to come celebrate Black History Month,” said Tomira White, owner of Delicious Bites on Wauwatosa's east side. he said.
Greg Schraufnagel, station manager for TMJ4, told the Journal Sentinel that “The Morning Blend” is a lifestyle show and is not part of the news department, and that sponsored content within the show is not part of the news department. He said it was common. “That's always been the format of the show,” he said.
“The Morning Blend” has been on the air for 18 years.
Schraufnagel asked for specific details about the show's structure, how many sponsored segments it has, typical methods for contacting potential guests, or whether the show has charged for a Black History Month segment in the past. He declined to comment on whether this was the case. “Things are always evolving,” he said.
“We will all learn from this.”
But he said: “We will never charge anyone to appear on the news or for any reporting.”
It is widely considered unethical for news organizations to pay sources for information or access, and the Society of Professional Journalists advises against this practice.
Kimberly Adams, owner of Signature Sweets, has appeared on various forms of media, including Food Network. She posted about the email on Facebook on Wednesday, encouraging many other Black business owners to come forward who said they had also received the email and felt insulted. Her post had been shared dozens of times and had about 100 comments as of Friday night.
“You know, when someone is celebrated or honored, they are not paying to be celebrated or honored,” White said.
White Friday afternoon, Schraufnagel called and apologized for his marketing efforts, White said. “I really appreciated it,” she said.
“I have reached out to community members who have expressed their opinions about this show, explained the nature of the show and paid content, and expressed my regret for its tie-in with Black History Month. I did,” he told the Journal Sentinel. . “Everyone I talked to was understanding.”
Drake Bentley can be reached at DBentley1@gannett.com or 414-391-5647.
