A gray hair at the origin of his resignation? Lisa LaFlamme, a 58-year-old Canadian journalist, announced her departure from CTV News a few weeks ago after 35 years of good and loyal service.
“I am still shocked and saddened by Bell Media’s (CTV News ownership group, editor’s note) decision,” she declared in a video shared widely on social media.
Well known to Canadians, the journalist immediately received a wave of support on the web. Several Internet users subsequently accused the channel of “machismo” and “ageism” towards his former collaborator who had recently made an important decision.
wave of support
During the health crisis, the journalist had chosen to assume and show her gray hair on the air, an initiative well received by viewers. If she doesn’t mention changing her hair as the reason for her dismissal, the antenna’s timing for it has aroused netizens’ suspicions.
“It also raised questions about whether she is not another woman in the list of countless people who have stood up to sexism and ageism in the television news industry,” Radio Canada read.
Many women then portrayed themselves on social networks, with gray hair, to support the journalist-presenter. Several brands such as the fast food chain Wendy’s or the cosmetic brand Dove have even shown their support for people with gray hair.
The company, for its part, refers to an “economic decision” linked to a “change in viewer habits” and denies that hair color has anything to do with this decision. The story was made so much that Bell Media Group chairman Mirko Bibic said in a statement that he was “convinced” the presenter’s hair, gender or age had been irrelevant in his firing.
Source: BFM TV
