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TV newswomen's scantily clad layouts in men's magazines incite journalistic backlash. April 14, 2004|Greg Braxton | Times Staff Writer
"If I were coming up now, I would never get hired. There is something [unfortunate] about having to be totally beautiful and totally sexy to be a newsreader."
Marcia Brandwynne
former local news anchor and current KTLA Channel 5
assistant news director,
in November 2001
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"KTLA Morning News" anchor Sharon Tay's seductive gaze from the pages of a men's magazine suggests that the headlines of the day are the last thing on her mind. Bold lipstick accents her prominent lips, and few might disagree that she wears her clothes -- what there is of them -- well.
But despite posing in various stages of undress in the March issue of Razor magazine, Tay, who anchors the 5 to 7 a.m. edition of the news, insists she has no aspirations to be America's Next Top Model.
"Oh, no, no, NO!" says the petite Tay, shaking her head vigorously. "I'm way too short!"
Now Tay's "fashion" pictorial has revived the debate about the blurring of boundaries between news and entertainment. While some TV newswomen, such as Fox 11's Jillian Barberie and KTLA's Mindy Burbano, have emphasized sexuality to promote themselves and their newscasts for several years, the emergence of news anchors using magazines and websites to flaunt their physical attributes has heightened concerns about the boundaries between journalism and show business, with academics, news directors and rival anchors denouncing the practice.
In one of the full-page photos of her in Razor -- a young men's magazine similar to Maxim and FHM that features scantily clad celebrities -- Tay leans against a wall in a tight, backless green outfit that reveals a hint of her rear end. She highlights her cleavage in another photo.
The pictorial is not Tay's only promotional vehicle. The anchor has a personal website where she touts her "beauty secrets" and health and fitness tips ("Do you want to have a firm butt? A few squats and lunges are great for this 'pow pow' factor"). There is also a Tay photo gallery. Her website bio names Tay as an "in-demand talent for a diverse array of entertainment industry projects," a description absent from her KTLA biography on the station's website, which says that Tay is "always interested in improving her journalist skills."
Meanwhile, KCOP's nightly "UPN News 13" anchor Lauren Sanchez often appears in miniskirts, boots and revealing blouses, delivering stories at a hyper pace underscored by techno music. The station promotes the broadcast -- its sole news offering -- as "news with attitude." The 11 p.m. UPN newscast has increased in ratings among the key 18-to-49 demographic group since last year, when Sanchez posed for a 10-page layout in Open Your Eyes (OYE), a magazine catering to Latino males. "America's Hottest News Anchor!" declared the article, which featured Sanchez in low-cut or tight-fitting blouses and dresses.
"Newscasters just aren't supposed to be this hot," read an introduction to the layout. "It's downright distracting. How's a man supposed to pay attention to what's going on in the world when the news anchor looks like she belongs on the Big Screen or -- better yet -- the Victoria's Secret catalog."
Other local news personalities who have come under scrutiny in the last few years include KCBS Channel 2 weather/entertainment reporter Lisa Joyner, KCAL Channel 9 afternoon anchor Mia Lee and, most notably, KTTV Channel 11 weather reporter Barberie, who's parlayed her newscast fame into a career as an entertainer. Joyner and Lee have drawn attention because of their on-air wardrobes, while Barberie and Burbano have appeared in men's magazines.
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