NBC News Under Fire for Spiking Another #MeToo Story About Showbiz Mogul

By Shivam Sharma Last updated Jun 28, 2018

NBC News is facing renewed heat after a report by The Hollywood Reporter contended that its MSNBC network spike a #MeToo story about a powerful entertainment industry figure months after scuttling a similar exposé about Harvey Weinstein.

The piece, by veteran journalist Kim Masters, detailed the story of Sil Lai Abrams, who said she was raped by music mogul Russell Simmons in 1994 and was sexually assaulted by “Extra” host A.J. Calloway in 2006. The accusations were being investigated by MSNBC anchor Joy Reid, who, in a series of texts to Abrams, accused her own network of “‘slow walking’ the story with ‘stupid requests,’” THR reported.

The story was ostensibly killed, according to Abrams, who told THR Reid said the network “was no longer responding to her queries as to when the segment might air.”

“When MSNBC pursues any investigative story our mission is always to be as thorough as we can, to scrutinize sources and corroborate information before we report. Anything else falls short of our journalistic standards,” said the network in a statement explaining why it didn’t go forward with Abrams’ accusations.

Also Read: NBC News Chief Says Ronan Farrow’s Harvey Weinstein Story Was Not Ready When He Saw It

The official line carries an eerie similarity to explanations offered by the network about why they passed on the Harvey Weinstein story. The report about the man whose sexual misdeeds sparked the MeToo movement was published in the New Yorker after then-MSNBC journalist Ronan Farrow said the network killed it. (The Weinstein story was killed by NBC News for a show that would have aired on the broadcast network’s “Dateline,” reported by MSNBC’s Farrow. Reid’s story was spiked by MSNBC, which is a division of NBC News.)

“I walked into the door at The New Yorker with an explosively reportable piece that should have been public earlier and immediately, obviously The New Yorker recognized that,” he told Rachel Maddow in October last year. “And it is not accurate to say it was not reportable and there were multiple determinations that it was reportable at NBC.”

Before Weinstein, NBC also lost out on the story of President Trump’s Access Hollywood scandal in October, 2016. The network passed on the opportunity to publish the tape, which had long been in NBC’s possession. The network ultimately published the tape after it leaked to the Washington Post.

MSNBC’s Joy Reid said in a statement it had been “inappropriate” to share her private frustrations about MSNBC’s process with Abrams. But on Thursday, Reid’s private venting was joined by several others online who took note of the disturbing pattern at the peacock network.

“Since November 2017 I have fought to have my #MeToo story told,” said Abrams leading the charge “@kimmasters of @THR finally did what NBC would not. Thank you.”

Since November 2017 I have fought to have my #MeToo story told. @kimmasters of @THR finally did what NBC would not. Thank you. https://t.co/Tm4Yeb96Nq

— Sil Lai Abrams (@Sil_Lai) June 28, 2018

Wow @nbc… billy bush, Ronan farrow, Matt Lauer – now this. You’re not handling women well: Russell Simmons, an ‘Extra’ Host and NBC News: A Sexual Assault Accuser’s Story of Pain and Frustration https://t.co/QdQcTRG54F

— Paula Froelich ???? (@Pfro) June 28, 2018

Wow. A powerful #MeToo piece from @kimmasters @thr that underscores Russell Simmons is a predator and NBC News has problems https://t.co/bl7xi1cEbb

— Andy Lewis (@andyblewis) June 28, 2018

What the hell is going on at NBC News that that place keeps getting in its own way when it comes to #MeToo stories? This is embarrassing. https://t.co/eLWhJCexIp

— Soraya Nadia McDonald (@SorayaMcDonald) June 28, 2018

Joy Reid is very critical of MSNBC, which she accuses of ‘slow walking’ a story with ‘stupid’ and ‘idiotic’ requests. https://t.co/oUTe1Ixith

— Matthew Belloni (@THRMattBelloni) June 28, 2018

“MSNBC’s decision to pass on the story came in the midst of the Time’s Up movement, even as other publications and outlets were revealing allegations of misconduct against high-profile men at an unprecedented pace.” https://t.co/7XpKLyX2N0

— Felix Gillette (@felixgillette) June 28, 2018

While Reid is an MSNBC anchor, MSNBC president Phil Griffin reports to NBC News chief Andy Lack.

Bill O’Reilly Sexual Harassment Scandal: Complete Timeline of Events (Photos)

“The O’Reilly Factor” host Bill O’Reilly, the most-watched and most profitable personality on cable news, is officially out at Fox News. Here’s everything you need to know about the Fox profit machine’s fall from grace amid sexual harassment scandals.

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This year, O’Reilly has continued to dominate the ratings, ranking as the No. 1 most-watched cable news host — a position he’s held for more than a decade. Research firm Kantar Media estimated “The O’Reilly Factor” earned $446 million from advertisers between 2014 and 2016. See the 2017 cable rankings here.

Fox News
2004: In O’Reilly’s first public run-in with sexual harassment claims, the host settled a lawsuit filed by his former producer, Andrea Mackris, according to a Washington Post report. The payout in the settlement was not disclosed.

Fox News
January 2017: The current scandal begins to bubble when the New York Times reports that Fox News and O’Reilly secretly settled a sexual harassment lawsuit in January. Juliet Huddy, a former Fox News employee, alleged that in 2011, O’Reilly tried to derail her career after she turned down sexual advances he made on her.

Fox News
April 1, 2017: The New York Times reported that O’Reilly and Fox News have settled sexual harassment and verbal abuse claims with five different women aimed at the host over the years. The two settlements mentioned above had been previously reported, but three were unknown. The payouts to women to end their suits total $13 million. Read more here.

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April 1: In addition to the settlements, two other women allege sexual harassment against O’Reilly. Former Fox host Andrea Tantaros alleged O’Reilly sexually harassed her in a lawsuit against former Fox CEO Roger Ailes. Radio host Wendy Walsh also came forward to allege O’Reilly made sexual advances on her when she was a guest on his show in 2013, and reneged on a promise to get her a job at the network after she rebuffed him.

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April 4: As the scandal grew, O’Reilly sponsors began to jump ship. Eleven O’Reilly sponsors exit the show, including Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, BMW, GlaxoSmithKline, Allstate, T. Rowe Price and Constant Contact. Read the full story here.

Mitsubishi/BMW
April 5: Donald Trump supports O’Reilly, saying the host “shouldn’t have settled.” Trump also said “I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.” Read the rest of the story here.

Fox News
April 5: Even more sponsors pulled their support for “The O’Reilly Factor.” The advertisers jumping ship include Lexus, Credit Karma, Bayer, TrueCar, Wayfair, Orkin, Society for Human Resources Management, CFP Board and Coldwell Banker. The total number of sponsors departing the show now totaled at least 20. Read more here.

Fox News
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April 6: As more advertisers pulled out of “The O’Reilly Factor,” two sponsors told TheWrap their ads were aired by Fox News against their wishes. Both MyPillow and Crowne Plaza said their ads were aired despite instructions to Fox not to do so. Read more here.

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April 7: Fox apparently stands behind O’Reilly despite sexual harassment allegations, and women at the network are reportedly “in anguish” that O’Reilly went “unrebuked.” Meanwhile, the number of advertisers who have pulled out from “The O’Reilly Factor” climbed to 60 or more. Read the full story here.

Fox News
April 7: Angie’s List, an advertiser that vocally stood by O’Reilly through the scandal, bowed to public boycott pressure and dropped its “Factor” sponsorship. Read the story here.

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April 8: “Saturday Night Live” took aim at the O’Reilly scandal, while sending up Trump’s support for the host. Alec Baldwin played both O’Reilly and Trump on the show. Watch the sketch here.

NBC
April 9: Fox News pledged to investigate the sexual harassment claims against O’Reilly, including Walsh’s. Read the full story here.

CNN
April 11: Fox News aired what might have been the final episode of “The O’Reilly Factor.” The April 11 episode is O’Reilly’s last before a vacation he said he scheduled in the fall, running until April 24. But reports suggested O’Reilly may not return to the network when his vacation ends. Read more here.

Fox News
April 13: In a letter congratulating Fox News on recent successes, Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch failed to mention O’Reilly or the ongoing scandal. Read the full story here.

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April 18: The Wall Street Journal, a publication owned by the Murdoch family (who also own Fox news), reported the network was looking to cut ties with O’Reilly before he returned from his scheduled vacation on April 24. Read the full story here.

Getty Images/Fox News
April 19: Women’s advocacy group UltraViolet urges Fox to “stop protecting sexual harassers” and fire O’Reilly in an online ad. Read more here.

UltraViolet
April 19: Fox News parent company 20th Century Fox releases a statement that O’Reilly will not return to the network. Read the story here.

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Everything you need to know about Bill O’Reilly’s ouster at Fox News

“The O’Reilly Factor” host Bill O’Reilly, the most-watched and most profitable personality on cable news, is officially out at Fox News. Here’s everything you need to know about the Fox profit machine’s fall from grace amid sexual harassment scandals.

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