Fox News started making moves to drop its well-known slogan “Fair and Balanced” from programming last year. The network has since instructed producers, hosts, and reporters to only refer to the network’s other slogan: “Most Watched, Most Trusted.” According to a source at the company, a new slogan could be coming soon.

The change was first noted by Roger Ailes’ biographer in a story in New York Magazine. According to the Fox News’ statement on the slogan, the change was not prompted by editorial or a programming decision. Rather, insiders believe the move was made to further distance the company from the legacy of Roger Ailes, who created the iconic slogan back in 1996. Ailes was ousted from Fox News last year after accusations of sexual harassment while working at the company. The network stopped using the phrase shortly after Ailes left his position as CEO of the network.

For Ailes and Fox, the “Fair and Balanced” slogan was a sort of doctrine, and a huge part of company culture. Ailes would host meetings and seminars based around the slogan, and would not hire reporters if he felt they didn’t come across as “fair and balanced” in his eyes. Most importantly, it gave the appearance to those who watched the network that both sides were being heard while still producing conservative-leaning content.

While the phrase may have shaped the modern cable landscape as we see it today, that hasn’t stopped Twitter from having a ball (as per usual) with the fact that Fox News will no longer be calling itself “Fair and Balanced.”

Fox News is apparently ditching the “fair and balanced” bit and going with something more nuanced. pic.twitter.com/xysOUMVlx6

— TK (@TKhatesyou) June 14, 2017

If a fig leaf falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? https://t.co/smvjLrKWkZ

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) June 14, 2017

Fox News saying they are no longer “fair and balanced” is like McDonalds saying they are no longer “healthy”.

It was never the case, kids.

— TrumpsTaxes (@TrumpsTaxes) June 14, 2017

James Levinson

James Levinson is an Editorial intern at Law Street Media and a native of the greater New York City Region. He is currently a rising junior at George Washington University where he is pursuing a B.A in Political Communications and Economics. Contact James at staff@LawStreetMedia.com

The post “Fair and Balanced” Slogan Out at Fox News: What’s Next? appeared first on Law Street.

Fox News Founder Roger Ailes Has Died

Roger Ailes, one of the founders of Fox News, passed away this morning at 77. His cause of death has yet to be released. Fox announced the news and aired a statement from his wife Elizabeth, which read, “I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning. Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many.”

Ailes was a prominent figure in American media as well as a powerful force in conservative politics, and many expressed their condolences. But many also referenced the sexual harassment controversy that led to his removal from the network he created last summer.

Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson sued him for sexual harassment and at least six other women came forward with similar claims. After Ailes’ ouster, news broke about similar allegations against Bill O’Reilly, who lost his job in April. A lot of people were really not that sorry to hear the news of Ailes’ passing.

Roger Ailes behaved egregiously toward women in his organization and changed our culture for the worse, making people dumber and angrier.

— Josh Barro (@jbarro) May 18, 2017

To all of the women that Roger Ailes hurt, today is going to hurt. We will never forget you and your untold stories.

— Xeni Jardin (@xeni) May 18, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Bill O’Reilly’s departure from Fox News is being touted as a victory against the vitriolic reporting of the network. After multiple sexual harassment lawsuits against the cable anchorman became public, sponsors began pulling ads from the show to the point that Fox leadership decided to cut their losses and dismiss O’Reilly. But will that move actually change anything about Fox News?

“The O’Reilly Factor” was an incredibly popular program and producers scrambled to fill the profitable 8 p.m. weekday time slot that draws almost 4 million viewers each night. Tucker Carlson has been chosen from the Fox News bench to fill O’Reilly’s shoes. While he might not have the same popularity or fame as O’Reilly, Carlson’s dismissive views of women hardly make him a departure from the O’Reilly Factor era. For those who don’t regularly tune in to Fox News, Carlson is best known for his program “Crossfire”–which Jon Stewart famously tore to pieces in 2004. This year, Carlson replaced Megyn Kelly after her decision to leave Fox–so it would appear that Carlson is making a habit of replacing more popular hosts.

O’Reilly may be leaving Fox in disgrace, but the moral judgment passed on him does not translate into financial ruin. O’Reilly is receiving a $25 million payout upon his exit, a far greater sum than any of the women who sued him received, which is equal to one year of his salary. He will no doubt be invited to speak on cable news shows and on the lecture circuit, and already has a book deal to further augment his income.

Other media outlets might have taken O’Reilly’s departure as an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to reform. Fox News could have hired outside of its existing anchor network, a true break from tradition. Even once the executives decided to hire in-house, they could have gone with a candidate with more experience with O’Reilly’s viewers–like host Laura Ingraham, who filled in for O’Reilly on multiple occasions. Ingraham tows the party line at Fox so hiring her would guarantee viewer retention while simultaneously serving as a gesture of respect towards female anchors at the network.

After Megyn Kelly’s departure, which O’Reilly reportedly contributed to, Fox had a chance to step back and address the pervasive sexism that female staff have faced at the network–a chance executives did not take. Representative Maxine Waters, who was personally attacked by O’Reilly, went so far as to call Fox News a “sexual harassment enterprise.” By appointing Carlson, the Fox team has only reaffirmed the culture O’Reilly and Roger Ailes built together at Fox. The window dressing might change, but the 8 p.m. weekday slot–and Fox News as a whole–will be the same, whether or not O’Reilly is at the helm.

Jillian Sequeira

Jillian Sequeira was a member of the College of William and Mary Class of 2016, with a double major in Government and Italian. When she’s not blogging, she’s photographing graffiti around the world and worshiping at the altar of Elon Musk and all things Tesla. Contact Jillian at Staff@LawStreetMedia.com

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Following the sexual harassment scandal that resulted in Roger Ailes’ resignation from Fox News, the network reportedly secretly made a deal with TV personality Juliet Huddy about very similar accusations against its top host Bill O’Reilly. A letter obtained by the New York Times shows that Huddy had complained to Fox News that O’Reilly had persistently pursued a sexual relationship with her in 2011, which she rejected. At the time he had a lot of power over her career and when she kept rejecting him, he tried to sabotage it.

According to the letter, which was sent from Huddy’s lawyers to Fox News, O’Reilly repeatedly called her, invited her to his home, took her out for dinners, tried to kiss her, and once opened the door only wearing underwear. Fox News solved the situation by paying Huddy a six-figure sum in exchange for her silence. But the company also denied that the allegations were true.

Scoop here. Fox News settled sexual harassment allegations against Bill O’Reilly @nytmike https://t.co/Ih9szETS1n pic.twitter.com/orNudBbPbc

— Michael Tackett (@tackettdc) January 10, 2017

Huddy also accused long-time Fox executive Jack Abernethy of similar behavior, and said that he too had punished her professionally when she turned down his advances. But Fox News sided with O’Reilly and Abernethy. “The letter contains substantial falsehoods, which both men have vehemently denied,” said spokeswoman Irena Briganti on Monday. New York Magazine’s Gabriel Sherman tweeted that the network has settled sexual harassment complaints with at least four more women in the past few months.

According to two Fox sources, Fox News has secretly settled sexual harassment complaints with at least 4 women since Ailes left

— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) January 10, 2017

Fox News apparently first learned about Huddy’s allegations in August, when her lawyers sent the letter. They agreed to the settlement on September 5, right around the time when they were dealing with Gretchen Carlson’s allegations against Roger Ailes. O’Reilly defended Ailes and called him the “best boss I’ve ever had.” He also claimed that Ailes was the victim, and was being targeted by the women because he was famous. He said: “In this country, every famous, powerful or wealthy person is a target. You’re a target, I’m a target. Anytime, somebody could come out and sue us, attack us, go to the press or anything like that.”

However, Ailes resigned, and Bill O’Reilly stayed on air and has since published two more books. To complicate things further, Roger Ailes is Huddy’s godfather and a good friend of her father, who also used to work at Fox. Her brother is also with the network.

This wasn’t the first time O’Reilly was the subject of sexual harassment accusations. In 2004, producer Andrea Mackris sued him for basically the same kind of behavior that Huddy claimed. He was also involved in a domestic dispute in 2015, when his teenage daughter testified in court that she had seen him choke her mother while he “dragged her down some stairs.”

Bill O’Reilly in November about Megyn Kelly: “You don’t like what’s happening in the workplace, go to human resources or leave.” https://t.co/EnKNJZNlP6

— (((Gabe Rosenberg))) (@GabrielJR) January 10, 2017

Huddy used to have segments on O’Reilly’s show. The letter from her lawyers describes how when she rejected O’Reilly, he started nitpicking her work, berating her, stopped preparing her before going on air, and cancelled a segment that she used to have on his show. Afraid of further retaliation, she didn’t complain. In September, she left the network. A source who Lawnewz talked to does not believe her claims and said that they were just concocted to get money from the network. Huddy has never publicly spoken about her allegations. But considering her close family ties to Ailes and that the settlement came at a time when Fox News was being hit hard in the media, that is likely explained by a confidentiality agreement, or simple loyalty.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Fox News Secretly Settled Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Bill O’Reilly appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

Fox News Settles With Other Ailes Accusers

When news broke Tuesday morning that former Fox host Gretchen Carlson would be receiving a settlement of $20 million, many knew that this was just the beginning of what could be dubbed an “Ailes Cleanup.” CNN revealed later that 21st Century Fox had doled out a handful of smaller settlements to other women who accused Roger Ailes of similar sexual harassment.

Meanwhile, looking the other way while Roger Ailes ran Fox like Jabba’s palace made News Corp billions. Huge settlements? Still worth it.

— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) September 6, 2016

Even though Ailes resigned in July, some feel the details and extent of the claims against him are being downplayed.

via GIPHY

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RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

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Both Donald Trump and Eric Trump have made some truly upsetting comments about women and workplace sexual harassment over the last few days–statements that show that neither have any idea about the issues that many women face in the workplace. And it’s worth asking: is this the kind of treatment women can expect in the Trumps’ America?

It all started when Donald Trump was asked about the sexual harassment allegations against Roger Ailes, the head of Fox News, who is stepping down as chairman and CEO. Chuck Todd was interviewing Trump and asked about his thoughts on the allegations against Ailes, and Trump spouted off some routine victim-blamey rhetoric about how women who praised Ailes in the past couldn’t possibly have done so if he had been less than polite to them in any way. Trump said:

Some of the women that are complaining, I know how much he’s helped them…And when they write books….and say wonderful things about him….[N]ow, all of a sudden, they’re saying these horrible things about him.

Trump, is obviously ignoring the fact that oftentimes women have to turn a blind eye to inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment from a boss or higher up at a company if they fear retribution at work in any way.

Then, Kirsten Powers, a journalist for USA Today, followed up with Trump on the topic. She framed it as a more personal issue–how would he feel if his beloved daughter, Ivanka, experienced sexual harassment at work. His answer?

He hopes that she would find a new job.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Trump is advocating that if a woman experiences harassment at work, it should be on her to go out and find a new job. Never mind the fact that she could have to relocate for this new job, could have to give up other work relationships she has cultivated, will have to consider whether she can transfer her benefits, and so many other related issues. Nope, it’s on the woman to leave that environment, not on men to treat women fairly in the workplace.

Then, Trump’s son, Eric Trump, was asked a similar question. He was asked by Charlie Rose whether a woman leaving her job was really the solution his father was advocating for, or whether “perhaps, a better answer would be drawing it to the attention of Human Resources and other things that we can do with regard to sexual harassment in the workplace.” The younger Trump’s response was just as illuminating–he said:

Hey, listen, we all run a company, my father runs a company, we take this – that is an absolute no-go anywhere, and that’s very much the case. I think what he’s saying is, Ivanka is a strong, powerful woman, she wouldn’t allow herself to be objected to it, and by the way, you should take it up with Human Resources, and I think she would as a strong person, at the same time, I don’t think she would allow herself to be subjected to that. I think that’s a point he was making, and I think he did so well.

So while Eric Trump conceded that if someone is being harassed they should take it up with HR, he also managed to imply that only non-strong women “allow” themselves to be subjected to sexual harassment. Again, the younger Trump puts on the onus of sexual harassment on women–not men.

Suppose that Trump does become president. What does this mean for his presidency? What if a woman in say, his cabinet, is sexually harassed, is she supposed to leave that job? Is it because she’s a weak woman? That’s obviously an extreme example, but as we get closer to the general election in November, it’s worth asking–will Trump’s actions speak as loud as his words?

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Let’s Talk About the Trump Family’s WTF Comments on Sexual Harassment appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

The Tenors Crash ‘O Canada’ With “All Lives Matter” Lyrics

A member of the quartet singing group, The Tenors, decided it was a good idea to change up the lyrics to the Canadian national anthem at the MLB All-Star game in San Diego.

Correction: The Tenors altered O Canada lyrics in support of All Lives Matter. pic.twitter.com/Q0i6qqLB4Y

— Bill Cooney (@BillCooney) July 13, 2016

Awkward, right? Social media immediately lashed out against the obvious political act and the group has since issued a statement apologizing. An update revealed that the All Lives Matter singer acted alone. All Lives Matter is now said to be a countermovement working against Black Lives Matter. Sigh.

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