Was The Email to Atlanta Anchor a Fake?
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Two days ago, FTVLive FIRST told you that WGCL Anchor Sharon Reed shared an email that she said she got from a viewer named Kathy Rea in which Rea called her the N-Word.
Reed read the email on air and then made this reply:
But, a number of people in the WGCL newsroom do not think that the email was real. Some believe it was made up as part of a publicity stunt.
After FTVLive told you the story, a day later media organizations across the country picked up the story.
Last night Reed was on the air again talking about the racist email. She said that people were attacking the wrong Kathy Rea, a school bus driver in Flint, MI. Reed says that is not the Kathy Rea that sent the email.
Watch Reed condemn viewers for going after the wrong Rea:
A search of social media does not turn up a Kathy Rea in the Atlanta area. You would think that if someone is emailing a TV Anchor they don't know a racist messages, it is the kind of person that would have a social media presence.
Some in the newsroom tell FTVLive that the time stamp on the email does not line up with the timeline of events.
FTVLive heard from several people in the newsroom that think this was nothing more than a publicity stunt.
This morning the lead story on the station's website was Reed condemning viewers for going after the wrong woman.
Really? Is this your lead story, or is a ratings challenged station trying to draw some attention to themselves?
Where is the right woman? No one seems to be able to find her?
Was this a fake email?
Reed is known for trying to bring publicity to herself. Is this another one of those times? A number of newsroom insiders believe that to be the case.
But, if Sharon Reed made up the email, how can it be proved?
At this point, FTVLive has no reason to believe that the email is not real. But, a number of people inside Reed's own newsroom are convinced that it is not.
That alone should have station management look more into the matter.
If many on the newsroom staff are not trusting your main Anchor, how do you expect the viewers to?
Atlanta, we have a problem.
Stay tuned...
Here is the story that WJRT in Flint where the woman that was accused of sending the email:
