Former Reporter Claims Discrimination

An interesting story coming out of News12 Long Island.

The New York Post reports that investigative reporter Rachel Yonkunas claims she was abruptly fired from News12 after calling out her bosses for shortchanging her on resources and air time.

Yonkunas, who joined the station 2022, says was stunned in September after her superiors demanded she take a $10,000 pay cut to join the station’s morning broadcast.

“I was shocked, devastated and confused,” Yonkunas, 35, exclusively told The Post. “I couldn’t understand why they were putting me, a successful investigative reporter, in this position. I think they thought I would just accept it.” 

The ultimatum came after Yonkunas pointed out how male peers were getting more from the station, including regularly getting additional help on assignments, she said.

Yonkunas claims her stories pulled from broadcasts an hour before they were to air, in favor of male coworkers, she alleged.

For months, she had no photographer to help her while a male sports anchor was “regularly prioritized” for such support, she said in court papers.

High profile assignments were consistently given to male reporters, she claims in court papers.

Yonkunas, who is seeking unspecified damages, filed the lawsuit against Altice USA and News12 in a bid to help others facing discrimination, Yonkunas said.

“I investigate stories. The last thing I want to be is the story,” she said. “And now I find I have to stand up for what’s happening, to make sure this doesn’t happen to the other female reporters still working there.”