SAN FRANCISCO — On Friday, September 4, 29 female journalists in the San Francisco Bay Area unified to publish an open letter on Medium and blamed a local media blogger, Richard Lieberman, for sexist comments posted on 415 Media Blog.
The open letter, “We Are Better Than This,” was published on Medium by 29 female journalists who claimed Lieberman’s opinions were personal, uncomfortable, and inappropriate.
The journalists decided to speak up when San Jose Mercury News used Lieberman as the only source to report falsely that Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump Campaign senior adviser, did not show up at KTVU-TV in Oakland, a Fox station in the Bay Area.
The letter expresses:
“For nearly two decades, we’ve been told to look the other way as a self-described media blogger – Richard Lieberman – has written disturbing and sexist things about us and our colleagues. He’s pitted us against each other; posted malicious rumors and gossip about us; and presented us as objects to be ogled and mocked exchange for clicks.”
An author in the letter revealed how Lieberman’s stories were “often misogynistic, dramatizes, and, frankly, perverted.” Lieberman made up cat fights between the female journalists and twisted relationships among female anchors describing they were “at a Star Wars ego crossroads.”
The letter also talks about how female coworkers feel sexualized by Lieberman’s posts that focus on their physical attributes, hairstyles, and clothing. Lieberman mentioned female anchors and reporters were fat, horse face, and garbage bags.
“Lieberman wrote an entire blog post debating whether an anchor’s “winnebagos” were “genuine or manufactured,” and has commented on the “boob power” of another anchor. He headlined one post about a female journalist: “Boner of the Day,”” said the letter.
The letter concluded with 29 females’ firm decision that they were together to combat Lieberman as independent and skillful journalists.
“We have been subjects of Lieberman’s harmful rumors and trolling for far too long. Even those of us, who haven’t been directly targeted, see Lieberman for who he is: A self-styled media blogger who attempts to make a living off of demeaning female journalists. It’s time that all Bay Area journalists and readers know it as well,” read the letter.
The list of the 29 journalists includes the following women: Laura Anthony, Lisa Argen, Renel Brooks, Leslie Brinkley, Kim Coyle Amanda el Castillo, Frances Dinglasan, Roberta Gonzales, Sue Hall, Amy Hollyfield, Carolyn Johnson, Kelli Johnson, Erica Kato, Michelle Kennedy, Teri King, Liz Kreutz, Kate Larsen, Lauren Martinez, Nikki Medoro, Lyanne Melendez, Valerie Coleman Morris, Melissa Pizcar, Luz Pena, Kris Reyes, Stephanie Sierra, Kristen Sze, Claudine Wong, Jan Yanehiro, Sara Zendehnam.
