Introduction
Fox News is viewed as a trusted source of news for Conservative Americans. It has been behind some of the biggest scandals in history including the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal of the late 1990s. However, in July 2016, there was a scandal involving sexual harassment claims by a journalist against the CEO of Fox News. This paper will examine the elements of ethics and business credibility in business communication in Fox News at this point.
The Roger Ailes Scandal
Roger Ailes is the chairman and CEO of Fox News, making him the most powerful individual in the media house. On July 6, a former host of a show at Fox News, Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit for sexual harassment against Roger Ailes and this was supported by several other women including Megyn Kelly who said they experienced sexual advances form Roger Ailes.
Immediately, Fox News’ parent company, 21st Century Fox came out with a press release that cut ties with Mr. Ailes and dismissed him from his post. The declaration did not mention alleged sexual misconduct. Thus, there is room for speculation about the true nature of the situation and allegations.
On the other hand, Roger Ailes and his legal team have denied all the charges. They have vowed to fight the case and prove Roger Ailes innocent. However, it appears that there is a lot of concern about Mr. Ailes’ reputation. This is because many other people in top positions in major press houses like Fox News tend to lose such top roles when they are found to be guilty of a conduct that is considered to be unethical.
Fox News’ Ethical Obligation
So far, Fox News has kept quiet about the entire issue. However, there are major questions about the situation at hand.
First of all, the allegation is serious. To be led by a person with such a history is a major problem. Therefore, it leads to a high degree of speculation. Secondly, Fox News is popular amongst conservatives in America. It is positioned as an entity that promotes family values and decency. In the past, it has condemned many media houses for being lax and liberal. Thus, they are being held to a much higher standard than normal. Thirdly, relieving Mr Ailes of his duty without giving reasons give room to the Streisand effect which causes people to dig into something that is seen to be placed in a cover-up mode. Therefore, there is the need for Fox News to come out to clarify the issue.
Obligation of Fox News
The reputation of Fox News is at stake due to this event. Therefore, they need to clarify the issue and the facts at hand. They will have to show the following:
The management was not aware of anything relating to the allegations of sexual harassment;
Show that the events of was of a private nature and it was not possible to detect the elements;
Identify that the company will follow aspects of the ruling from the court and will not comment any further.
This way, the public will know and understand that Fox News is committed to integrity and will do everything in its power to ensure that the right things are done. They should refrain from taking sides and saying anything that might appear to be a conclusive position on the matter. They should allow the court to do its duty and look into the case and cooperate with the findings. This means that Fox News will come out and acknowledge the allegations at hand and also show that they are ready to cooperate for better results.
References
Easley, J. (2016, August 8). Fox News In Crisis As Sexual Harassment Scandal Pushes Channel To The Brink. Retrieved from Politicus USA: http://www.politicususa.com/2016/08/08/fox-news-crisis-sexual-harassment-scandal-pushes-channel-brink.html
Huddleston, T. (2016, July 21). Roger Ailes Resigns: A Timeline of His Downfall. Retrieved from Fortune: http://fortune.com/2016/07/21/roger-ailes-resigned-scandal-timeline/
Sakoui, A. (2016, August 11). Scandal at Fox Gives James Murdoch New Chance for Redemption. Retrieved from Bloomberg Technology: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-11/scandal-at-fox-gives-james-murdoch-a-new-chance-for-redemption
