Analysis Of Fox's Harassment

According to the article on Fox’s Harassment settlement, published by the New York Times, “Twenty-First Century Fox said [as of the print date of the article] that it had incurred about $50 million in costs during the year that ended June 30 tied to the settlement of sexual harassment and discrimination allegations in its Fox News Division” (Steel, 2017). These allegations began when Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit last July against the network’s founding chairman Roger Ailes (Steel, 2017). From this point on, the costs seem to be escalating for Fox. Fox has also had to pay two-hundred and twenty-four million dollars due to restructuring costs that have been used in an attempt to clean up their image, hire a new head of human

The facts of the case are laid out in a easily understood format, listing costs and accusations in a “matter of fact” tone that brings light to the issue without turning the scandal into mere gossip. This is important as it demonstrates that such issues are to be taken seriously as they affect real people and their experiences in the work force. The message, ultimately, is that the sexual assault charges against Fox News are resulting in significant changes being made within the company to improve employee equality and treatment. As the article’s tone suggests, this is a step forward for the company, which has been made to compensate for their unethical

Sexual harassment became prohibited due to a 1980 interpretation of Title VII, which defined sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2016, p. 91). As a result of this issue gaining recognition and legal precedent, companies now take measures to prevent such issues from occurring. As displayed by Fox’s fifty million dollar harassment settlement and its corresponding media attention, “sexual harassment cases are not only expensive, but they can also be highly disruptive to business and political organizations”(Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2016, p. 92). Employees have lost faith in Fox News, the company will continue to have public relations issues for years to come, and expenses are growing. Because of this, Fox News has taken many steps that the textbook lists as crucial for reducing potential liability for sexual harassment. This includes urging employees to report inappropriate behavior and conducting training sessions. Attention brought to this topic has resulted in