Columnist: Double standard for Bartiromo

Jeanie Wyatt, in a column for the San Antonio Express-News, writes about the double standard that the media used in assessing the scandal involving CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo.

Wyatt wrote, “Maybe a small mistake was made, but what blew everything out of proportion was the Citigroup firing of executive Todd Thomson. He had hosted Bartiromo on the flight, and he was dismissed later over how he had spent Citigroup money and the company’s performance.

“Citigroup issues are big and complicated and really have nothing to do with Bartiromo. Bartiromo’s ultimate boss, Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric Co., said she did nothing improper.

“So, why would I weigh in on what’s fast becoming old news? Because I see all of the markings here of an unfair double standard. I’m a career woman and do not like double standards. If Bartiromo had been a ‘booyah’ male like Jim Cramer, would her transportation have caused such a story? This double standard was eye popping.

“What was ‘eye popping’ is the box Bartiromo was put in. The ‘Money Honey’ comes to San Antonio and to face an ongoing media storm about nothing. Is that so unusual for the media? She’s a loyal person to both her career and her employer. Can you imagine making 46 speeches a year to please your boss in addition to your day job? She decided to be loyal to Trinity University and most notably to the event coordinator, Ann Knoebel, both new to her. It was a display of true guts because she must have known what faced her. Would they listen to her insights, or only come to gawk at her looks and see if the subject of ‘inappropriate behavior’ slipped through?”

Read more here.