NBC digital employees unionize and slam network's 'lack of transparency' following Ronan Farrow allegations
NBC News employees are calling out the network's "lack of transparency" following a series of bombshell allegations from Ronan Farrow.
NBC News Digital's editorial staff announced Wednesday it's unionizing with the NewsGuild of New York, in a mission statement calling out NBC following recent reporting in Farrow's book Catch and Kill, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Farrow in his book describes NBC halting his investigation into the sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, which he would later publish in The New Yorker, as well as the claim that NBC received complaints about Matt Lauer years before he was fired. NBC has said Farrow's Weinstein investigation was not ready for air and that it was not aware of Lauer's alleged sexual misconduct prior to his firing in November 2017.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Recent weeks have highlighted serious questions as to how NBC News has handled incidents of sexual misconduct in the workplace as well as the opaque processes and procedures for reporting on and exposing powerful predators," the NBC News Digital News Union says.
The union also blasts the network for its "lack of transparency" in "repeatedly" refuting calls for an independent review "despite numerous such requests from staff." NBCUniversal previously said an internal investigation found "no evidence" that NBC leadership received complaints about Lauer before November 2017. The union also calls out NBC's "troubling trend of passing on stories which investigate the powerful."
This comes after MSNBC host Rachel Maddow also called out NBC's leadership on her show, saying that "accusations that people in positions of authority in this building may have been complicit in some way in shielding those guys from accountability" are "very, very hard to stomach." Maddow also announced that NBC would let former employees out of their nondisclosure agreements upon request, though one employee described this to The Daily Beast as a "cynical attempt to shut the story down."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 21, 2024
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - wild cards, wild turkeys, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Say Nothing: 'sensational' dramatisation of Patrick Radden Keefe's bestselling book
The Week Recommends The series is a 'powerful reminder' of the Troubles
By The Week UK Published
-
Joy: fertility film starring Bill Nighy offers 'dose of seasonal cheer'
The Week Recommends The film about the invention of the fertility treatment is 'unassuming' but may 'sneak up on you'
By The Week UK Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published