Circle City Broadcasting owner DuJuan McCoy took a hit from one of the largest journalism advocacy groups in the country, which denounced his leadership and alleged mistreatment of employees with a dishonorable distinction.
The National Association of Black Journalists gave McCoy a “Thumbs Down” at its annual convention in Atlanta on Aug. 15, 2026. The criticism comes about a year after he allegedly terminated former WISH-TV meteorologist Ashley Brown Elliott when she questioned the station’s treatment of Black employees, leading to a new noncompete agreement in employee contracts and a subsequent a mass exodus of WISH staffers.
McCoy also made national headlines when he razed the WRTV newsroom within hours of sealing Circle City’s $83 million purchase of the station from E.W. Scripps Co. in March. WRTV and WISH now operate under dual branding with the same crew staffing both channels. McCoy said the WRTV layoffs and doubling up of the stations were his “prerogative and responsibility” as a business owner in an April appearance on the Leaders and Legends podcast.
NABJ’s annual rebukes spotlight media actors that “undermined fair, accurate and inclusive journalism about Black communities or have otherwise acted in ways fundamentally at odds with NABJ’s mission and values,” according to a presentation at the organization’s Salute to Excellence Awards Gala. Along with McCoy, NABJ also called out Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, the Washington Post, CBS and longtime ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, who fired back Aug. 17 in a post to X.
NABJ didn’t specify which actions warranted McCoy’s inclusion on its “Thumbs Down” list, instead noting general allegations of mistreating Black employees.
“McCoy’s leadership has been the subject of multiple allegations regarding the treatment of Black journalists, raising serious concerns about workplace equity, newsroom culture and professional accountability,” the gala presentation said of McCoy.
Neither McCoy nor the NABJ responded to IndyStar’s requests for comment, though McCoy called the distinction “sad and shameful” in a letter to NABJ President Errin Haines and Vice President Walter Smith Randolph that he posted to LinkedIn.
“Publicly trying to shame individuals based on supposition should be beneath an organization that claims to advocate for professionalism, fairness, accuracy, and accountability,” McCoy wrote. “The fact that NABJ leadership would permit its name to be attached to such a factless initiative calls into question your judgment, credibility, and commitment to the values you profess to uphold.”
McCoy – who staked his claim in the Indianapolis media market in 2019 after running stations in Texas, Louisiana and Evansville – owns WRTV, WISH and MyINDY-TV 23 under Circle City Broadcasting. An Indianapolis native and Butler University graduate, McCoy began his career as an account executive at WTTV and worked his way up the broadcast business ladder, landing a position as vice president general sales manager at Houston’s Fox affiliates before founding his own broadcast company in 2007.
McCoy generated local controversy in February 2025 when Elliott, who was a WISH meteorologist for eight years, announced Circle City Broadcasting fired her for questioning how WISH management treated Black employees, noting in a social media post that the station manager asked her to stop wearing certain colors on air. McCoy called the claims “utterly false and defamatory” and said Elliott chose to leave WISH.
That July, Elliott sued McCoy and Circle City over the noncompete agreement in her contract, and a judge deemed the clause unenforceable in September. Circle City introduced a revised noncompete, and employees who refused to sign were either terminated or left on their own accord.
NABJ’s inclusion of McCoy is in stark contrast McCoy’s prior recognitions from Black media organizations. McCoy made his name as the first Black owner of a major station in Texas with his purchase of a pair of Fox properties in Abilene and San Angelo, according to his bio on the Circle City Broadcasting website. He’s a member of the National Association of Black Broadcast Owners and a 2023 recipient of the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists’ Trailblazer Award.
NABJ President Haines said the “Thumbs Down” award, though a negative moment at an otherwise celebratory event, is necessary to spotlight the decision-makers in a turbulent journalism climate.
“I know the ‘Thumbs Down’ award can make people uncomfortable. Good. Because accountability is not supposed to be comfortable,” Haines said in a speech at the awards gala. “We cannot spend an entire week talking about truth and power and then become timid when it is time to tell the truth to power.”
Contact IndyStar Pop Culture Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@indystar.com. Follow her on X @hmb_1013.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NABJ gives DuJuan McCoy ‘Thumbs Down’ after WISH staff exodus, WRTV layoffs
Reporting by Heather Bushman, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Heather Bushman, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
