Faithful readers of this blog know that I follow the inside scoop of the TV news industry. Having survived a stint in cable news, nothing makes me smile/cringe more as when I see the latest efforts of a network flack pushing talent in print profiles.
Last summer, I loved following the meteoric rise of openly-gay Rachel Maddow over at MSNBC. Now it seems that the primetime cable news lineup has added another sister to the squawking roundtable.
In Monday’s NYTimes, former TVNewser creator/blogger/turned reporter Brian Stelter dedicated more than 1,000 words to an interview with HLN host Jane Velez-Mitchell. What intrigued me about this interview was the very first sentence:
"Jane Velez-Mitchell is a true-crime author, a television talking head, a lesbian, an animal activist, a recovering alcoholic and a vegan."
A true-crime author? I'm shocked! Flabbergasted! Seriously folks, how cool is it that Jane and Brian both recognize that this woman, and all other women for that matter, can't be confined to one labeled box. Some people might be surprised to know that she's a lesbian. Others, that she is a recovering alcoholic. Me? I find it refreshing that Jane lays it all out on the table and embraces her background. The story just puts the lesbian aspect out there and moves on.
And talk about an interesting trajectory into cable primetime. One day, she's serving in her usual role as a fill-in host. Gets a call, packs her bags, and Monday morning, she is now a semi-permanent host five nights a week. And people are watching: Issues reached an average of 596,000 viewers last month, which is a 74% improvement as compared to last year and the slot's previous occupant Glenn Beck (now at FOX News).
This story taught me two important lessons. 1)It's fantastic that we can see LGBT identification by a high-profile anchor in a high-profile news outlet and 2)It's smart marketing. Instead of hiding Jane's identity, she and the network have decided to promote it to reach a whole new audience. I love that networks, and corporate America for that matter, are quickly recognizing that we are an audience that can be loyal to you when you are loyal to us.
So, to recap:
MSNBC: One lesbian in primetime
HLN: One lesbian in primetime
Fox News? Me thinks I smell an opportunity to diversify here…
And yes, Oprah, I am available to discuss this blog topic if Bryan is not around!
(Photo courtesy of Yana Paskova for The New York Times)
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