Local media coverage concerns TSU
Tray Miller
Staff Reporter
Issue date: 3/19/07 Section: Campus News
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Shortly after the Texas Southern images began circulating on the Internet, discussion about the photos became the topic of many conversations among the student body. Some students even went as far as forming discussion groups on Internet social networks, such as facebook.com and myspace.com.
The WSMV news segment on the campus discussion was broadcasted. The segment, which started by stating that an "odd new trend" was occurring on the Tennessee State campus, also reported that the alleged male sorority fiasco had led to a student losing his job with the campus radio station and that the other outed student was no longer attending class.
Former TSU student Fred "Freddie B" Moultry went as far as taking his discussion of the topic to a live radio show on WTST campus radio and named another male Tennessee State student as a member of an underground male sorority which imitates Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
The Meter was unable to identity whether or not the university has such underground organizations or whether a specific student was affected by the WTST campus radio show.
The Meter, likewise, was contacted by dozens of professional journalists, collegiate newspaper student editors, TSU alumni and members of the Nashville community with reactions to the news segment and its Internet circulation. The photos, later accompanied by the WSMV story, quickly gained national attention on popular gossip message boards at bet.com and allhiphop.com.
Joseph Richie, operations manager for WTST campus radio and communications department professor, said no student was fired from the station.
"The (two) guys that were on air and that uncovered the young man's name are not TSU radio hosts nor are they TSU students," Richie said. "Thus, I can't fire or suspend someone who doesn't work for me. No one lost a show that currently has one so that statement by Trotter within itself is false."
Trotter, on the other hand, said that he gathered the majority of his information from a student director at WTST campus
radio.
But, Richie said the two men on air were standing in for TSU senior Antonio "AJ" Benton, who was unable to host his own show due to another obligation. Moultry confirmed that it was he who had been barred from campus radio and that the outed student even threatened a lawsuit against the station for slander.
"My staff and I did, however, take action to make sure this never happens again," Richie said. "And I talked with the young man, who at the time was threatening a lawsuit against the station."
The video of the TSU story has since been removed from the WSMV Web site, wsmv.com, but Trotter said that was because the story is now old.
Trotter also added that the story probably earned the most online viewer hits in wsmv.com history.
"I have no reason to say I'm sorry and neither does WSMV," Trotter said. "So it's very unlikely that anyone will be getting a sorry. I really don't think that a sorry is wanted or needed anyway further."•
The WSMV news segment on the campus discussion was broadcasted. The segment, which started by stating that an "odd new trend" was occurring on the Tennessee State campus, also reported that the alleged male sorority fiasco had led to a student losing his job with the campus radio station and that the other outed student was no longer attending class.
Former TSU student Fred "Freddie B" Moultry went as far as taking his discussion of the topic to a live radio show on WTST campus radio and named another male Tennessee State student as a member of an underground male sorority which imitates Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
The Meter was unable to identity whether or not the university has such underground organizations or whether a specific student was affected by the WTST campus radio show.
The Meter, likewise, was contacted by dozens of professional journalists, collegiate newspaper student editors, TSU alumni and members of the Nashville community with reactions to the news segment and its Internet circulation. The photos, later accompanied by the WSMV story, quickly gained national attention on popular gossip message boards at bet.com and allhiphop.com.
Joseph Richie, operations manager for WTST campus radio and communications department professor, said no student was fired from the station.
"The (two) guys that were on air and that uncovered the young man's name are not TSU radio hosts nor are they TSU students," Richie said. "Thus, I can't fire or suspend someone who doesn't work for me. No one lost a show that currently has one so that statement by Trotter within itself is false."
Trotter, on the other hand, said that he gathered the majority of his information from a student director at WTST campus
radio.
But, Richie said the two men on air were standing in for TSU senior Antonio "AJ" Benton, who was unable to host his own show due to another obligation. Moultry confirmed that it was he who had been barred from campus radio and that the outed student even threatened a lawsuit against the station for slander.
"My staff and I did, however, take action to make sure this never happens again," Richie said. "And I talked with the young man, who at the time was threatening a lawsuit against the station."
The video of the TSU story has since been removed from the WSMV Web site, wsmv.com, but Trotter said that was because the story is now old.
Trotter also added that the story probably earned the most online viewer hits in wsmv.com history.
"I have no reason to say I'm sorry and neither does WSMV," Trotter said. "So it's very unlikely that anyone will be getting a sorry. I really don't think that a sorry is wanted or needed anyway further."•
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