WPTV reporter Angela Sachitano is in hot water over a video posted on YouTube, but it’s not what you think.
The video in question shows Republican congressional candidate Allen West introducing his campaign staff one by one and then toward the end Sachitano pops up, introduced by the candidate as someone who “does our media relations”.
The problem is Angela Sachitano is still very much employed at Palm Beach NBC affiliate WPTV, and according to the Palm Beach Post she has reported on the campaign of incumbent Ron Klein.
Allen West told The Palm Beach Post Sachitano “provides me insights into how to improve my media appearance/presence and conduct of interviews” and his campaign manager says she has no formal role in the West campaign beyond being friends with the candidate.
WPTV on their part have taken “the appropriate action to address the situation” according to news director Jeff Brogan without going into specifics
You can see the video after the jump, Angela Sachitano is introduced at the 5:30 mark
Somebody should check her FB… she’s a fan of Tea Party pages. Her stories are all biased towards Republicans. She did a story the day the health care reform bill passed where she interviewed a “poor” wealthy restaurant franchise owner who will be impacted financially by the bill. So one-sided and pathetic it made my blood boil. Journalists are supposed to appear impartial and she’s had ZERO credibility with me cos her political leanings have always been very clear. I don’t care who a reporter or anchor supports in private… they can think Sarah Palin is the Second Coming but please do it in private or I’ll think all your stories have an agenda.
Fire her.
She is so unethical her and Josh Grogan both worked for Allen West since 2007! Thats ludicrous! WTV and Scripps should be sanctioned.
Sachitano is a dirty little rag in my book. In my opinion, West is smart to keep her bigass lying mouth shut! Just keep paying her hubby, no one will catch on really…
Hey, If the sec. of state for Florida Catherine Harris can also work for the election of Geo W Bush, why not a reporter that has nothing to do with the actually outcome of the election, unlike Catherine Harris ?
Mitch, reporters have influence on elections. If each and every newscast aired stories with a Democratic slant or a Republican slant then at least a few people will be persuaded to vote in that direction. Not everyone is intelligent enough to do their own research. Some people are dummies and believe everything they read in a newspaper or view on TV. Sad but true! I hate to see any pro-Democrat or pro-Republican story. Be impartial at all times and let the public make up their own mind. I strongly believe this reporter should have been fired because she’s shown she has no journalistic integrity. But hey, WPTV has lost so many on-air staff lately they probably can’t get by if they lose another reporter. Her stories should now be watched with a hawk’s eye if they cover anything political.
T its much more serious when the sec of state who runs the election in the state is also working for someone who is running for office, much less the president of this country !
Who hired her?
Who is dragging their feet to quickly and clearly address this situation?
Another example of poor management who has little or no desire to do their jobs.
This reporter is not the only one who needs to be bounced out of there.
Probably Peter Roghaar who hired most of their awful staff and chased off the majority of their best guys. The latest gossip story about several people leaving the station is most probably the reason why they are keeping her around despite her huge breach of BASIC ethics. She seems like a competent reporter at regular beat stories but as soon as it touches a political angle her bias is absolutely evident.
T,
You are dead on! I mean that’s journalism ethics 101. I’m in miami, but I recall that utterly ridiculous report you mentioned above. The station is in bad sight amid all the exits, however biased reporters should not be tolerated period! My suggestion to Jeff is to quietly ship her off to another Scipps affiliate. WPB is a known republican county anyway, which is why it’s prob not such a big deal, but believe me, that would not ride or walk in Dade. I hope this woman isn’t on a political beat.
I know I’m dead on. And bless, Angela has “disliked” my comments.
http://www.wptv.com/content/news/topstories/story/health-care-bill-layoffs-business-wptv-costly/DRWD1ZFrOU-zQiVtkx9vMA.cspx
TV reporter’s advice to GOP candidate West draws heat
by George Bennett | May 14th, 2010 A WPTV Channel 5 reporter’s advice to Republican congressional candidate Allen West on his TV appearances has been deemed “inconsistent” with station policy and drawn fire from the campaign of U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton. Klein supporters were alarmed recently when they saw a YouTube video of an event in which West introduced WPTV reporter Angela Sachitano and said she “does our media relations.”Sachitano has no formal role with the West campaign, but she and her husband are friends with the candidate, West campaign manager Josh Grodin said. West said in an e-mail that Sachitano “provides me insights into how to improve my media appearance/presence and conduct of interviews.”Sachitano has covered a handful of stories involving Klein and West, including a recent report on the political ramifications of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.When West opened his campaign headquarters in Deerfield Beach last month, a video posted on YouTube showed him introducing a variety of campaign staffers and volunteers, including Sachitano.“Angela Sachitano, who does our media relations, has done such a great job in helping me to develop that presence, so that when I go on MSNBC, you notice I didn’t smile with those folks, because you have to know how to project the right type of presence, so Angela thank you,” West says in the clip.West, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, said later that Sachitano’s husband, a former Army captian, was an early volunteer on West’s losing 2008 campaign against Klein.Angela Sachitano wouldn’t comment and referred questions to WPTV News Director Jeff Brogan.Said Brogan: “Through her husband Angela has a personal friendship with Allen West. While we have reason to believe that relationship has negatively impacted her work as a journalist we did find her involvement with this campaign inconsistent with our policy. We’ve taken the appropriate action to address the situation.”Brogan’s statement didn’t elaborate on the “appropriate action.”Klein campaign spokeswoman Sarah Rothschild blasted West.“To have a high profile member of the media personally advising Allen West, while that individual is also simultaneously reporting on the campaign, is beyond what is acceptable. Of course, unethical behavior from Allen West and his campaign is becoming the norm. South Florida residents deserve fair and unbiased coverage of the news and West is trying to undermine that.”
Sachitano’s lies are catching up with her… stay tuned to Page2Live.com for more exciting antics from the Rulebenders Party Sachitano and West.
Thats a joke! She worked for West for 3 years while at Scripps! What?????????????????????????????