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Jim Trotter, Who Sued NFL, Calls Smith a Hypocrite

by richard020 views · 20 today

‘Brings a Different Energy’ Depending on One’s Race
. . . Writers Address Remarks on Women, ESPN, Going Public
. . . AI Summary of Joy Reid-Jim Trotter Conversation

Homepage photo: From left, Jim Trotter, Stephen A. Smith and Roger Goodell (Credit: www.joyannreid.com)

(Credit: YouTube)

‘Brings a Different Energy’ Depending on One’s Race

Jim Trotter, the NFL reporter who publicly challenged The NFL on its diversity record and two years ago reached a settlement with the league, is calling Stephen A. Smith a hypocrite for criticizing the National Association of Black Journalists for not contacting him first before awarding him its “Thumbs Down” award, while not extending the same courtesy to Trotter when he criticized Trotter on the air.

Trotter made the statements in an interview with journalist Joy Reid, one of Smith’s targets. “If there’s one thing I do not like, it’s a hypocrite,” said Trotter, who describes himself now as semi-retired.

Trotter also said, “He did not use journalistic ethics in my situation. So no matter how you try and color it or code it or whatever you want, you were told twice before you interviewed the commissioner to call me to get my side of this story and you chose not to. That was a decision that you made.

“So don’t sit up and talk to me about what you know about journalistic ethics. Okay? So Dr. Jason Johnson had asked me about this one time. He had asked me what I was most disappointed about with my lawsuit. This is in the middle of it. I told him the thing I’m most disappointed about is the people who were speaking on it have never reached out to me or never read the complaint.”

At another point, Reid and Trotter each portrayed Smith as deferential to whites who hold positions of power, but not to Black critics and journalists. Smith sided with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell over Trotter, Reid said. “There’s just a difference in the way he approaches authority figures who are white and authority figures who are not,” said Trotter, “He brings a different energy when he is referring to us than he does to these people of quote unquote power. And that’s always an issue that I’ve had.”

Smith did not respond to an email seeking comment.

An AI summary of part of the conversation between Reid and Trotter is at the end of this column.

. . . Writers Address Remarks on Women, ESPN, Going Public

A day shy of two weeks ago, the National Association of Black Journalists gave one of its five “Thumbs Down” awards to Smith, said to be the nation’s most highly paid Black journalist, having signed a contract worth at least $100 million for five years — and that’s just with ESPN.

Smith is already “everywhere,” according to Chris Rosvoglou, writing for the Spun: ’He is “currently on a $100 million extension with ESPN. Not only is he the star of ‘First Take,’ he occasionally makes appearances on other shows. In addition to his partnership with ESPN, Smith signed a three-year, $36 million deal with SiriusXM. He hosts ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show’ weekdays and has a weekly show about politics and pop culture called ‘Straight Shooter.’ His digital and podcast revenue is estimated at roughly $7 million annually.

Both Smith and NABJ have been excoriated since the Thumbs Down announcement, with Smith receiving the most scorching criticism, portrayed as “Homie the Clown” from the 1990s “In Living Color” comedy show — and worse — and as a Donald Trump acolyte. Meanwhile, NABJ has taken heat as a group callously scolding one of its own members who is helping Black journalists and the larger Black community.

Some have used the occasion to debate the role of a Black journalist and that of a Black organization. A gender divide became apparent, with Black women far more likely to side with NABJ in its assertion that Smith derides them. That Smith took his defense to white conservative hosts rubbed many the wrong way, and accounted for much of the criticism.

“”Stephen A. Smith Went Crying To White People Because The Black People Were ‘Mean’ To Him,” read one headline, on BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Others urged Smith and NABJ President Errin Haines to talk privately, though Smith says he wants a public conversation.

“I hope the one-on-one happens — which I shared with Smith in a text message,” wrote Roy S. Johnson on al.com. “I hope it results in an open, honest, and maybe-difficult public engagement. And growth and healing.”

NABJ gave a record five Thumbs Down awards at its “Salute to Excellence” awards on Aug. 15.

The recipients were:

  • Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission.
  • CBS.
  • DuJuan McCoy, owner, president and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting, and one of the few Black owners of local television stations.
  • The Washington Post

Those awards, given since 1989, though not every year, are “presented annually to an individual or organization for especially insensitive, racist or stereotypical reporting, commentary, photography, or cartoons about the Black community or for engaging in practices at odds with the goals of NABJ.“

For Errin Haines, a Black woman who writes for The 19th, which champions women’s rights, gender concerns have been up front, at least in this discussion. She said of Smith to Capital B, “We know that for better or for worse, influential voices can become part of the permission structure for how Black women are treated, which is why what he says matters. What he’s saying doesn’t exist in a vacuum because when powerful Black women are repeatedly framed in ways that diminish their credibility or question their competence, that can help normalize a broader culture of disrespect.”

In its announcement, NABJ said: “Smith has established a recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports, and media. Such commentary reinforces harmful narratives, undermines the fair and respectful representation of Black women in public discourse, and stands in direct conflict with NABJ’s long-standing commitment to accurate, responsible, and inclusive portrayals of Black communities.”

Smith has disputed that characterization. “I was raised by five Black women,” Smith said. “My mother, God rest her soul, and my four older sisters. Have two daughters. I have 10 nieces. I don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.” He says that when he attacks Black women, it is because of their politics, not because they are women.

Here is some of the commentary.

In the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, Amelia Robinson wrote of Smith’s defense that he was raised by Black women. “What isn’t debatable is the notion that being raised by Black women means you can’t disrespect Black women. Some of the world’s ‘best’ Uncle Toms and Auntie Tomikas were raised by Black women and men. Some of the baddest racists have Black ‘friends.’ Some of the worst misogynists take their little girls to daddy-daughter dances. Being of a community does not mean you understand or fight for the needs of that community. Relationships don’t necessarily make you wise or empathetic.”

Stephen A. Crockett Jr. wrote for News One: “The argument is that there is a difference between being willing to criticize Black people and building a lucrative media identity around only criticizing Black people.

“Smith has crossed into that territory so comfortably that arguing with Black people has become part of the product.

“And Black women have been particularly prominent in that product. Never forget that white America has a history of propping up Black folks who will do the work for them. There has never been a shortage of Black people who are willing to admonish Black people for a moment to be spotlighted in the white gaze. And Smith isn’t just basking in it; he’s working for it. He’s literally tap dancing his way into the hearts of the MAGA movement, so much so that his name was even kicked around for a possible presidential run. And good for him.

“Smith’s first business, even before sports, is ensuring that Smith remains highly paid at all costs. He’s had no problem making the move from “the down-to-earth brother” to a skinny Jason Whitlock.”

Keith Reed, writing for MS NOW, also cited Whitlock, but in Smith’s defense. “Even compared only with other sports commentators who have conservative political leanings, Smith’s offenses pale in comparison to those of some of his contemporaries. For example, Jason Whitlock, an ESPN alumnus who now makes his living trafficking in the conservative content sphere, has called Serena Williams ‘classless’ and repeatedly made disparaging comments about her body. He has said even worse about his former Fox Sports colleague Joy Taylor, another Black woman journalist.”

Others wondered why Smith’s employer, a Disney property, was spared. “. . . Consider what is happening at ESPN at the exact same time NABJ is attacking Stephen A. Smith,” wrote Damon K. Jones for Black Westchester. “Today, ESPN is giving Pat McAfee more visibility and opportunity. McAfee is white. He’s also quickly becoming one of ESPN’s biggest stars. NABJ is not responsible for McAfee’s success. And McAfee is not literally taking Stephen A. ‘s spot on First Take. But if Stephen A.’s relationship with Black journalists continues to weaken while McAfee’s relationship with ESPN continues to grow, who ultimately gains power? Who loses it?”’

On Friday, Front Office Sports reported, from sources, that “Roxanna Scott (pictured) is out as ESPN’s top editor after fewer than 10 months on the job.

“Scott was named SVP, editor-in-chief last December. Her role was eliminated this week in a reorganization of the network’s news division and there will be a new editorial structure that ESPN brass feels will better support its newsgathering needs, a source said. Scott’s exit is not being characterized as being part of a new round of layoffs. . . .”

The author of Emerald Book sensed something sinister in NABJ’s failure to similarly chastise ESPN, writing, “The NABJ’s decision to single out Smith while completely ignoring the corporate entities that enable, profit from, and amplify his commentary is a glaring act of hypocrisy. While Smith’s words are harmful, the structural damage done by Disney — ESPN’s parent company — vastly outweighs the impact of any individual on-air talent.

“And yet, because Disney writes the biggest checks to the NABJ, the organization gave them a complete pass.  While the NABJ focused on Smith’s commentary, his employer spent 2026 silently gutting the actual livelihoods of Black journalists, storytellers, and creatives. Disney has launched three massive rounds of layoffs in a single year, eliminating over 1,000 corporate and creative roles. These deep reductions have targeted areas like National Geographic and ABC News, severely thinning out the exact pipeline of Black newsroom professionals the NABJ claims to protect.”

Others questioned whether the dispute should have gone public at all. “When I think about the discussions I was having with people at this year’s NABJ convention, it was about more mundane concerns,” wrote NPR media critic Eric Deggans.

“People worried about a shrinking job market. Concerns that the continuing anti-DEI sentiment, unfairly fed by the current presidential administration, would cost more jobs and make current positions more precarious. Sadness that the group’s legendary jobs fair – a giant assembly of booths featuring recruiters from news organizations across the country – seemed smaller this year and focused mostly on TV operations.

“I’m not sure how this public food fight with Smith — who contends this slam from NABJ is more about his criticism of liberals and friendliness with conservatives — makes progress on any of those questions. . . . this feels like a family dispute that’s a few degrees removed from the more basic problems members are facing.”

A writer for EEW magazine said, “The disagreement ultimately turns on where legitimate criticism ends and disparagement begins, and whether a professional organization can police that boundary without also policing dissent.”

From left: Jim Trotter, Stephen A. Smith and Roger Goodell (Credit: www.joyannreid.com)

. . . AI Summary of Joy Reid-Jim Trotter Conversation

From Rev.com:
The discussion begins with Stephen A. Smith receiving a “thumbs down” award from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for what the organization characterized as disparaging remarks about Black women.

Rather than addressing the criticism directly, Smith appeared on Fox News with Sean Hannity to defend himself. On that program, Smith denied ever disparaging Black women, claiming he had only disagreed with things figures like Jasmine Crockett, Kamala Harris, and Michelle Obama had said.

The host, Joy Reid, then pivots to a separate but related story about Jim Trotter. In February 2022, at a pre-Super Bowl press conference, Trotter questioned NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the league’s lack of diversity in hiring, pointing out that nearly half the league’s franchises had never had a Black head coach and that NFL Media had no Black senior-level decision makers in its newsroom, despite the player population being 70% Black.

Shortly after that exchange, Trotter’s contract with NFL Media was not renewed. Trotter filed a federal lawsuit alleging employment discrimination. In September 2023, Stephen A. Smith addressed Trotter’s lawsuit on his ESPN show.

After initially praising Trotter as a fine journalist, Smith pivoted to suggest that Trotter’s actions were “foolish” and implied the questioning of Goodell was unwise. Smith also stated that he believed Goodell had nothing directly to do with Trotter losing his contract, though he acknowledged that people working under Goodell may have acted on assumed preferences. After seeing the segment, Trotter texted Smith to say he wished Smith had contacted him beforehand, as he could have provided information showing that what Goodell said on air was untrue.

Smith’s response was dismissive, telling Trotter that mentioning his lawsuit at all was “a courtesy” and refusing to allow Trotter to come on the show to speak for himself.

Reid highlights the core hypocrisy: Smith had publicly complained that NABJ’s Errin Haines should have come to him personally before issuing the thumbs down award, yet Smith himself had refused to contact Trotter before discussing his lawsuit on air, despite being told twice to call Trotter before the interview.

Smith also regularly urges his critics, including Reid herself, to come on his show, yet when Trotter offered to appear, Smith refused. In the interview, Trotter confirms he was told the night before and the morning of Smith’s show to call him, and Smith did not. Trotter also notes that Smith spent 15 to 20 minutes discussing the lawsuit on air without once inviting Trotter to speak for himself, calling it “professional cowardice”.

Trotter points out that Smith said on the show he was willing to call Jerry Jones [owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys] to verify facts, but would not call Trotter directly. The broader discussion touches on a pattern Reid and Trotter identify in Smith’s behavior: a tendency to side with powerful white figures in authority while criticizing or dismissing Black journalists and public figures who challenge those same structures.

Trotter argues that the NFL’s DEI commitments were hollow, given that its own newsroom had no Black managers, no Black copy editors, and no full-time Black news assistants covering a predominantly Black player population. He states he raised these concerns privately for two years before going public.

The conversation closes with a broader point about the trend of Black talent being pushed out of sports media, referencing Ryan Clark’s firing from ESPN as another example, and Trotter suggesting that the most effective pressure on the NFL would come from targeting sponsors rather than shaming owners.

. . . ‘Where Double Standard Is Most Clearly Demonstrated’

Here are the moments where Stephen A. Smith’s double standard is most clearly demonstrated:

1. He demanded Errin Haines contact him privately, yet refused to contact Trotter before the interview. Smith complained that NABJ president Errin Haines should have come to him personally before issuing the thumbs down award, treating the failure to do so as a violation of ethical norms.

Yet Trotter confirms he was told the night before and again the morning of the show to call him, and Smith did not. Trotter summarizes the contradiction directly: “You want NABJ to do something for you that you are not willing to do for others.”

2. He regularly demands critics come on his show, but refused to let Trotter do the same. Smith repeatedly requests that people who disagree with him, including Joy Reid herself, come on his show to air their grievances. When Trotter offered to appear and speak for himself after Smith discussed his lawsuit for 15 to 20 minutes on air, Smith replied flatly: “It ain’t happening.” Trotter calls this “professional cowardice.”

3. He framed his decision not to call Trotter as a “courtesy” to Trotter. Rather than acknowledging the journalistic failure, Smith told Trotter in the text exchange that even mentioning the lawsuit at all “was a courtesy” to him. Trotter’s response was that basic journalistic ethics require going to the source directly, not relying on second-hand information.

4. He was willing to call Jerry Jones to verify facts, but not Trotter. During the on-air segment, Smith stated he was willing to call Jerry Jones to check whether Trotter’s claims were true, yet he had twice been advised to call Trotter directly and chose not to. Trotter notes the obvious inconsistency: “You’re willing to call Jerry Jones and ask him if it’s true, but you are not willing to call me and ask me if it’s true.”

5. He sided with Goodell’s account without contacting Trotter, who says he could have proved Goodell’s on-air statement was untrue. Smith publicly stated he believed Goodell had nothing to do with Trotter’s contract not being renewed. Trotter texted Smith to say that had Smith called him beforehand, he could have provided background showing “what Roger just said is untrue.”  Smith dismissed this, saying “that’s on you.”

 

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