ABC News’ outgoing president Kim Godwin’s very public exit tour continued Monday with her husband attempting to form a bizarre PR campaign to boost her image following the veteran newswoman’s sudden resignation on Sunday.
“It is with earnest humbleness, I am requesting your assistance in sharing how Dr. Kimberly Godwin Manning, has profoundly changed your life,” her husband Derrick Manning wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday night praising her career just as news of her resignation became public. “Please post your heartfelt expressions of support via the following hashtag: #thankyoukimgodwin.”
The public call for submissions came a day after Godwin announced her abrupt retirement from the broadcast journalism industry, citing “considerable reflection” as she weighed her future plans.
Her announcement followed a week of intense scrutiny of her tenure—which included bombshell reporting via both CNN and Puck.
The latter’s Dylan Byers reported on Friday that several Black ABC staffers had “soured on her leadership,” particularly after she remarked in a meeting with staffers that Black people don’t watch the news. (According to Pew Research Center data, Black Americans are the most likely of any racial or ethnic group to get their news on television.)
In the days that followed, two current ABC News staffers expressed their displeasure at Godwin’s comments to The Daily Beast, calling them “incredibly disappointing.”
“[Her words] couldn’t be further from the truth, but it also speaks to a larger issue about systems and individuals who uphold prejudice and stereotypes for personal gain,” one ABC staffer told The Daily Beast over the weekend, before Godwin announced her exit.
A number of prominent Black journalists both inside and outside ABC either did not respond or declined to comment when reached by The Daily Beast with questions about Godwin’s comments. Notably, none of the network’s high-profile stars, including Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts, stepped up to support her either—even in the wake of her husband’s plea.
Godwin also reportedly developed an out-of-touch reputation among staff during her tenure as ABC News president, allegedly eschewing newsroom work in favor of high-profile events, including multiple White House Correspondents’ Dinners and and trips to glitzy, high-profile events and news scenes that made her an unusually public persona among news executives.
Godwin did not run the network’s Monday news call, though she was in the office. She did, however, find time to publicly post her departure letter on Instagram.
“The last few lines are this…’ I leave with my head held high and wish the entire team continued success. #oneabcnews In faith and favor, Kim,’” she captioned the post. “You’ll have to read the rest here. So very grateful. Jeremiah 29:11.”
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