Last month, former "Good Morning America Weekend" host Janai Norman locked eyes with the camera and recorded a video in which she delivered scathing criticism of her former employer, ABC News. In the video, shared across her social platforms, Norman torched the Disney-owned network for how "GMA" host Michael Strahan interviewed the parents of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old who was found dead in Mississippi after a boating trip with his friends. The odd circumstances surrounding the death of Wells have fueled speculation that there may have been foul play—and the family's attorney has indicated there is a "distrust" of law enforcement.
Strahan asked why their son would have stayed behind on an island alone—appearing to accept without skepticism the account the friends of Wells have offered in the aftermath of the death. Norman scolded Strahan, said it was "not an objective question," and added that "subjectively, I would say it was insensitive."
"Many news organizations haven't yet learned that they cannot trust law enforcement as credible sources of information, and that is what plays into racial divisions," Norman continued, adding that "by ignoring the context, news organizations become complicit in upholding white supremacy."
It was both a weighty and sharp criticism to direct toward Strahan and ABC News. But it has hardly been the only time that Norman has gone after her former employer in such blistering terms. Indeed…
The rest of this story is for paid subscribers only.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Scoop-driven reporting and sharp-edged analysis. See why The Wall Street Journal declared Status a “must-read.”


