Now of all things to fire someone for this has to be one of the most controversial we’ve seen in a hot minute!
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson Challenges The Media On How They Cover Stories
On February 11, a journalist from the Dallas Morning News spoke out regarding a tweet from Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson where he claimed that media hasn’t brought enough attention to the drop in violent crime.
And as we’ve seen recently, if policing or crime stories don’t feed into a particular narrative, the national media has zero interest in them. If it doesn’t feed into our worst tribal instincts or show a city devolving into violent crime-ridden chaos, the media will not cover it.
— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) February 11, 2023
According to Huffington Post, Meghan Mangrum, who was employed with the Dallas Morning News, responded and said,
Bruh, national news is always going to chase the trend. Cultivate relationships with quality local news partnerships
Mayor Johnson responded with a tweet, that has been since delated, saying,
Bruh? Have we met?
Bruh? Have we met?
— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) February 11, 2023
Once the story was released on D Magazine, yesterday, responses began to flood in — most of them ending or starting with the word “bruh” criticizing the way this was handled.
Getting reporter fired was real Christian of you, BRUH
— J 🔱 (@Jsixx__) March 2, 2023
Meghan Mangrum Speaks About How She Got Fired Following Her Infamous Tweet
In her interview with D Magazine, Meghan said all she was doing was standing up for her colleagues and the work they put in.
Standing up for my colleagues and the work that we do, when I know we’re doing good and honest work, is something I pride myself on and something that I look for in my colleagues and in my workplace as well.
However, her workplace didn’t quite see it that way because three days after she sent the tweet, she was fired.
According to Mangrum, in a Monday morning conversation with the paper’s executive editor, Katrice Hardy, she was asked if she would have used the word “bruh” if the mayor were White.
Her response was “yes” claiming that her Twitter feed is full of the word “bruh” directed at various accounts.
Bruh. I waited overnight for STANLEY CUP GAME 5 tickets. Gators are too much.
— Meghan Mangrum (@memangrum) November 19, 2015
Bruh. I've covered education for probably longer than you've been trolling Twitter. I never doubted the pandemic would impact learning.
However, the fact that only 38% of Tennessee's third graders were on track in 2019 BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. Is what I focus my work around.
— Meghan Mangrum (@memangrum) August 3, 2021
She also says that she would never tell a person how to feel but her intent was never race related. The word “bruh” is just part of her vernacular.
“I would never tell a person of color, ‘Oh, it wasn’t racist. You shouldn’t feel that way.’
But I know my intent, and it was not at all about race. I use that word with my friends and when I tweet about hockey. It’s just part of my vernacular. I grew up in Central Florida, and, you know, I’m a millennial.
Following that meeting, she organized and attended a protest in front of headquarters due to past issues of equal pay and things unrelated to her specific situation.
Later that day, she was fired stating that she violated the company’s social media policy, but never went into detail about the specific policy she violated.
What Mayor Johnson Has To Say Following The Twitter Exchange
The Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Tristan Hallman, has declined to comment on the matter, so did the execs and HR department at the paper.
Rumors have begun to swirl on social media that Johnson may have allegedly “put pressure on the paper to take action.”
Bruh, you need to tell your editor pal to rehire Meghan Mangrum and publicly apologize for abusing the power of your office for your vanity.
— KSR (@baby7billion) March 2, 2023
These rumors have not been confirmed.
A complaint to the National Labor Relations Board has been filed against the DallasNews Corp regarding Mangrum’s situation and many others. In the meantime, she has decided to move back home to Florida and is still on Twitter actively.
For everyone asking: pic.twitter.com/8rTnJKmeUH
— Meghan Mangrum (@memangrum) March 2, 2023
Roommates, do you think firing her was the right call or a bit extreme to do?
