If once is chance, twice is coincidence, and a third time is a pattern, things don’t look good for NBC.
The network released a report Wednesday morning claiming it couldn’t find any evidence of a “culture of sexual harassment” in its news division following the firing of accused sexual predator Matt Lauer.
I’m not sure they intended this, but NBC’s internal investigation does the exact opposite of refuting allegations the network has a serious problem when it comes to enabling and shielding accused predators. If anything, the report sounds like more of the same.
Let’s walk through this briefly:
First, there’s the absurdity of NBC concluding NBC has done nothing wrong after NBC investigated NBC. Secondly, the language used in the Lauer report is suspiciously worded, as noted in more detail here by the Washington Examiner’s Emily Jashinsky.
Further, it’d be one thing if it were just Lauer, but he’s not an isolated incident for the Peacock Network. As I’ve noted before, NBC has a long and troubling history of slow-walking, downplaying, and outright dismissing allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful and well-connected men.
Earlier this month, for example, several female NBC staffers claimed they felt “pressured” by management to sign a letter pledging support to former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, who also stands accused of several acts of sexual harassment.
NBC can deny there was any pressure, just as it denies former “Today” host Ann Curry and other staffers who claim they warned senior management about Lauer’s alleged abuses. At some point, though, NBC has to realize it’s the common denominator in all of these stories.
We’re not even close to being finished either.
As recently as 2017, the network reportedly tried to smother then-NBC journalist Ronan Farrow’s bombshell report on disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Farrow himself has confirmed as much. It’s worth noting his reporting, which is largely responsible for giving the “#MeToo” movement a much-needed spark, didn’t even run on NBC’s own network. Farrow’s exclusive Weinstein coverage was published by the New Yorker.
Speaking of NBC getting scooped in its own backyard, the network has yet to give a good explanation for why it wasn’t the first to report on the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, which features then-NBC employee Donald Trump bragging about grabbing women “by the pussy,” during the 2016 election. The Washington Post got that particular story, which really makes no sense considering NBC was in possession of the tape the entire time.
Then there was the time in 1999 when the network sat on its exclusive interview of Juanita Broaddrick, who claims Bill Clinton raped her in the 1970s. They didn’t air the tape until after Clinton had been acquitted on two articles of impeachment.
All of this is to say: Forgive me if I’m skeptical of an NBC-led investigation absolving NBC management of allegations they were aware of Lauer’s reported conduct. It’s going to take a bit more than that to assuage concerns the network has a deep-rooted, boys club approach to sexual misconduct
Proposed compromise: Scrap the absurd Lauer report and hire Farrow to conduct an independent investigation. Let’s see where that takes us.
