What followed after Podell's statement was an absolute media fire storm, including former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers posting the quote on Facebook.
Following the intense backlash, Podell was forced to resign from her position.
From Blac Media:
DIV reporter Lauren Podell resigned from her position at the station today, WDIV Vice President and General Manager Marla Drutz says in a company-wide email obtained by BLAC.
The email included a message from Podell, who began at WDIV in 2007 as a traffic reporter after winning a contest at a local shopping mall, to her coworkers: “During my time at WDIV I have created many friendships that I will continue to cherish.”
This week, word got out that a WDIV reporter used the word "nigger" in a conversation with another coworker, and gained momentum when Sam Riddle, a controversial former chief of staff for former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, posted the quote on Facebook. Riddle pointed to Podell as the offending reporter in various social media posts.
“I am tired of reporting on these niggers killing one another in Detroit,” Riddle’s Facebook post read.
Riddle and Reverend W.J. Rideout held a press conference earlier this week where they called for boycott of WDIV and their advertisers if the station did not release an apology.
This apparently isn't the first time Podell's language has landed her in hot water. In 2013, Podell cursed while she was live on-air, and the video quickly became an internet sensation.
"I don't know when we're going, neither does Jim. I can't get this fucking in there!" Podell said.
