Anchor David Elliott says WLOX-TV fired him over political views. His response: ‘See ya.’
David “Dave” Elliott, a fixture at WLOX-TV, says he was fired Friday morning over his personal political posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Elliott announced his departure to the public on one of his Facebook page, “David Elliott WLOX TV” and on his personal Facebook page, Dave Elliott.
“I’m no longer at WLOX as of 10-25-24,” Elliott wrote Friday morning. “The corporation doesn’t like my political views.”
Before he was fired, Elliott posted a tweet on X that featured him in a video telling people they should stay home if they plan to vote for Kamala Harris. By midday Friday, the video posted Wednesday night had 1,100 views, 69 likes and 21 retweets.
Elliott, who has worked at WLOX since 1985, said general manager Rick Williams broke the news about his termination.
“X was brought up in the conversation, which lasted only about 30 seconds because I left,” Elliott told the Sun Herald. “I was like, ‘OK, see ya.”
Elliott joked not so long ago on social media that he planned to die in his anchor chair. He said Friday that he might just have a different employer in mind.
“I was going to leave at the end of the year, anyway,” he said. “I have irons in the fire. Things are going to move at the speed of light. Keep your eyes open.”
Anchor’s time at South MS station
The news anchor had worked at WLOX since 1985. At least at one time, he was the only anchor on the air seven days a week, according to a WLOX story in 2017. His biography is no longer on the station website.
WLOX general manager Rick Williams has not yet responded to a Sun Herald telephone call about Elliott’s departure.
Supporters flooded Elliott’s Facebook comments to tell him how sorry they were to see him go.
But there is an expectation that those practicing journalism or delivering the news should remain objective.
“That journalists should strive for impartiality when reporting the news is an article of faith in America,” says an article in Columbia Magazine, a publication of Columbia University in New York, which has a respected journalism school.
Elliott said he has maintained his impartiality on air and can not think of anyone who would claim he had been unfair.
Elliott says videos ‘political satire’
Elliott has been posting videos about the presidential election on his personal X and TikTok accounts.
In a video posted Wednesday evening, Elliott said in his familiar anchor voice: “I’d like to see 100% voter turnout, whether it’s for your local sheriff or president of the United States, but if your hatred for Donald Trump is so strong — that’s kind of a sickness, by the way — but if it’s so strong that you’re planning to go in that voting booth and vote for Kamala Harris, do you listen to her? Do you know anything about her?
“Do yourself, do the country, do the world a favor and just sit it out. Stay home; don’t vote. This has been a public service announcement.”
The video was shot near the waterfront, with Elliott wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap.
Elliott explained to the Sun Herald that he draws a distinction between his former job and social media. The job, he said, is journalism but social media is entertainment.
He said his videos are political satire.
“I don’t consider social media journalism,” he said. “Social media is a toy. I have fun. I play. I look at it as satire.”
“I get paid for doing television.”
Journalism ethics at play
However, journalists who work for media organizations are generally prohibited from doing things such as posting personal political opinions on their social media pages, putting candidate signs outside their homes, or donating to campaigns. The Sun Herald has such a policy.
The X video was the last in a string of political posts from Elliott in which he tagged Elon Musk and Juanita Broaddrick, who alleged that Bill Clinton raped her in 1978.
Mike Lacy, retired weekend anchor and multimedia journalist for WLOX, and a former Sun Herald journalist, replied under Elliott’s X video about voters staying home:
“If you had wanted to make irresponsible comments like this, Dave, how could you even call yourself a journalist?
“Good God, I can’t tell you how disappointed I am with this post.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 2:02 PM.
