To: Lachlan Murdoch (Executive Co-Chairman, News Corp & 21st Century Fox) and James Murdoch (CEO, 21st Century Fox)
Tell Fox News To Hold Bill O'Reilly Accountable For Harassment
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A bombshell New York Times investigation found that Fox News and Fox host Bill O'Reilly have paid $13 million to settle with five women who accused the host of repeated sexual harassment or verbal abuse. As the channel’s top host, O'Reilly’s years of sexual harassment must be taken seriously by the network's executives, particularly after former Fox CEO Roger Ailes' ouster due to sexual harassment allegations. Clearly a culture of sexism, misogyny, and sexual harassment still thrives at Fox News. Fox executives must take action against sexual harassment and hold Bill O'Reilly accountable.
Why is this important?
Fox News and Bill O'Reilly have paid $13 million to settle with five women who accused the host of repeated sexual harassment or verbal abuse -- including two lawsuits that came in after the network's former chairman, Roger Ailes, was dismissed during a harassment scandal last summer -- according to a bombshell New York Times report published this weekend. [1]
Enough is enough. Fox's leadership has protected O'Reilly for years, letting him get away with racism, sexism, and outright lies. [2] In the wake of the accusations against Ailes, Fox News executives declared that the network wouldn't tolerate behavior that "disrespects women or contributes to an uncomfortable work environment" -- but they just signed Bill O'Reilly’s new contract. [3] His ratings shouldn't protect him from the consequences of his behavior.
A culture of sexism, misogyny, and harassment has thrived at Fox News for more than a decade. [4] Last year, Fox executives' swift decision to launch an internal investigation into reports about Ailes, managed by the well-regarded law firm Paul, Weiss, suggested that Fox was determined to change. [5] But O'Reilly proves that sexual harassment is still a serious problem at the network.
More than 50 advertisers -- including Allstate, BMW of North America, and Jenny Craig -- have already pulled their ads from O'Reilly's program, and other sponsors are publicly considering dropping it now. [6] If Fox doesn't take action soon, more advertisers that don't want to associate their brands with O'Reilly's behavior will soon follow, and the network will face growing financial fallout.
It's time for Fox News to stop paying lip service to fixing its toxic atmosphere. Fox executives need to be transparent about the findings of their internal investigations and the steps they're taking to improve, especially now that the spotlight is on their star host.
Fox's own CEO had to resign due to reports of sexual harassment; Fox executives need to hold Bill O’Reilly to the same standard. Let's pressure them to do what they said they’d do: create a work environment that doesn’t tolerate harassment, no matter who's doing it.
Fox News must take the reports about Bill O'Reilly seriously and hold him accountable. Help us take a stand against the culture of sexual harassment at Fox News by adding your voice now.
Footnotes:
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/business/media/bill-oreilly-sexual-harassment-fox-news.html
[2] https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2017/03/29/what-would-it-take-bill-o-reilly-get-fired/215862
[3] http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/01/media/bill-oreilly-settlements/
[4] https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/01/roger-ailes-and-rampant-misogyny-fuels-fox-news/212059
[5] http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/09/fox-news-settles-with-gretchen-carlson-for-20-million
[6] https://mediamatters.org/blog/2017/04/04/these-are-bill-o-reilly-s-advertisers-oreilly-factor/215912
Enough is enough. Fox's leadership has protected O'Reilly for years, letting him get away with racism, sexism, and outright lies. [2] In the wake of the accusations against Ailes, Fox News executives declared that the network wouldn't tolerate behavior that "disrespects women or contributes to an uncomfortable work environment" -- but they just signed Bill O'Reilly’s new contract. [3] His ratings shouldn't protect him from the consequences of his behavior.
A culture of sexism, misogyny, and harassment has thrived at Fox News for more than a decade. [4] Last year, Fox executives' swift decision to launch an internal investigation into reports about Ailes, managed by the well-regarded law firm Paul, Weiss, suggested that Fox was determined to change. [5] But O'Reilly proves that sexual harassment is still a serious problem at the network.
More than 50 advertisers -- including Allstate, BMW of North America, and Jenny Craig -- have already pulled their ads from O'Reilly's program, and other sponsors are publicly considering dropping it now. [6] If Fox doesn't take action soon, more advertisers that don't want to associate their brands with O'Reilly's behavior will soon follow, and the network will face growing financial fallout.
It's time for Fox News to stop paying lip service to fixing its toxic atmosphere. Fox executives need to be transparent about the findings of their internal investigations and the steps they're taking to improve, especially now that the spotlight is on their star host.
Fox's own CEO had to resign due to reports of sexual harassment; Fox executives need to hold Bill O’Reilly to the same standard. Let's pressure them to do what they said they’d do: create a work environment that doesn’t tolerate harassment, no matter who's doing it.
Fox News must take the reports about Bill O'Reilly seriously and hold him accountable. Help us take a stand against the culture of sexual harassment at Fox News by adding your voice now.
Footnotes:
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/business/media/bill-oreilly-sexual-harassment-fox-news.html
[2] https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2017/03/29/what-would-it-take-bill-o-reilly-get-fired/215862
[3] http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/01/media/bill-oreilly-settlements/
[4] https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/01/roger-ailes-and-rampant-misogyny-fuels-fox-news/212059
[5] http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/09/fox-news-settles-with-gretchen-carlson-for-20-million
[6] https://mediamatters.org/blog/2017/04/04/these-are-bill-o-reilly-s-advertisers-oreilly-factor/215912