UltraViolet on Fox News Firing Bill Shine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, May 1, 2017
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | 516-841-1105 | brett@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet on Fox News Firing Bill Shine
For Months, UltraViolet Called on Fox News to Fire Top Executives Found Covering Up Sexual Assault at the Network
NEW YORK — Moments ago, Fox News issued a statement announcing new executive appointments and confirming that the Fox News has cut ties with former Fox News co-President Bill Shine.
In reaction to the news, Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, a leading women’s advocacy group that had called for Bill Shine to be fired since August, issued the following statement:
“For years, Fox News co-President Bill Shine actively provided cover for serial sexual abusers and misogynists – creating a culture where Fox News employees and hosts were allowed to make racist and misogynist comments on-air and sexually harass their co-workers with no accountability from the network.
“21st Century Fox recognized that Bill O’Reilly and Roger Ailes were symptoms of a toxic work culture and that as long as Bill Shine was at the network, Fox News would never be a safe working environment for the women who worked there.
“Fox News still has a lot to do to make sure that the women who work at the network are free from sexual harassment and abuse – but getting rid of Bill O’Reilly and Bill Shine are definitely steps in the right direction.”
Since August 2016, UltraViolet, in collaboration with allies at Color of Change, the Women’s March, the National Organization of Women (NOW) and Media Matters for America, called for Fox News to fire Bill O’Reilly and Bill Shine and launch a full investigation into sexual harassment and abuse at the network. As part of that effort:
- UltraViolet released an online video ad targeting members of the board of 21st Century Fox ahead of their board meeting Thursday to decide the fate of Bill O’Reilly. The video documented stories of women sexually-harassed by Bill O’Reilly.
- Members of UltraViolet and survivors of sexual assault protested at Fox News’ HQ’s in New York Citydemanding the company fire Bill O’Reilly.
- UltraViolet commissioned a plane to fly around Manhattan with a banner reading “FOX: #DROPOREILLY, THE SEXUAL PREDATOR.”
- Members of UltraViolet also placed posters around Fox New’s midtown HQ asking “Have you also been sexually harassed by Bill?” with the message to Fox News that it is time to #DropOReilly.
- Nearly 500 survivors of sexual assault signed onto an UltraViolet letter to 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch demanding accountability for sexual harassment and assault at Fox News urging Murdoch to fire Bill O’Reilly.
- In August 2016, following claims that Andrea Tantaros was sexually harassed by Bill O’Reilly, UltraViolet called for the O’Reilly Factor host to be immediately suspended, and a full investigation launched into sexual harassment and abuse at the news network.
- In January 2017, after the New York Times reported that Roger Ailes secretly settled sexual harassment claims against O’Reilly, UltraViolet demanded the network fire O’Reilly.
- More than 87,000 UltraViolet members have signed onto a petition calling on 21st Century Fox to fire Fox News CEO Bill Shine and Fox News host Bill O’Reilly over their role in taking part in and covering up abuse at Fox News.
- More than 60,000 UltraViolet members have signed onto a petition calling on advertisers to the O’Reilly Factor and Fox News to cut ties with the network over the lack of accountability for sex crimes.
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UltraViolet is an online community of over 1,00,000 women and men who take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org