Advocacy group urges DNC to cancel debate hosted by MSNBC, cites ‘toxic culture’ at network

A prominent women’s advocacy group is urging the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to cancel next month’s presidential debate hosted by MSNBC, citing what it calls a “toxic culture” at NBC News.

 
“The DNC needs to make it clear that they support survivors of sexual abuse and cancel the upcoming 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate on MSNBC until Comcast and NBC News take clear steps to clean up the toxic culture that exists across their networks,” UltraViolet Action co-founder Shaunna Thomas in a statement Tuesday.

 

{mosads}In a tweet the same day, Thomas said NBC News should “clean house and do an independent investigation.” She also cited Ronan Farrow’s reporting on NBC.

“These initial reports demonstrate that NBC’s current leadership is either unable or unwilling to take appropriate steps to combat the culture of sexual abuse at the networks,” Thomas added in her statement. “These are problems that can only be solved by significant structural and cultural changes at MSNBC, NBC News, and its parent company, Comcast.”

 

“The DNC must stand with survivors and pull the upcoming democratic presidential primary debate from MSNBC until Comcast takes clear steps to clean house at NBC News,” she added.

 

UltraViolet was founded in 2012 and boasts more than 700,000 members.

 

MSNBC and The Washington Post are slated to co-host the fifth Democratic debate on Nov. 20.

 

 

Farrow has said in media interviews that his new book describes a troubled culture at NBC and includes documents to support claims of “multiple secret settlements.”
 
“What we show in this book, with a paper trail, with documents, was that there were multiple secret settlements and nondisclosures being struck with women at NBC News,” Farrow told “Good Morning America” on Friday.

NBC News has pushed back on Farrow’s claim of multiple settlements.

“The first time we learned about Matt Lauer’s sexual misconduct in the workplace was the night of November 27, 2017 and he was fired in 24 hours. Any suggestion that we knew prior to that evening, paid any ‘hush money,’ or tried to cover up any aspect of Lauer’s appalling behavior is absolutely false,” NBC said in a statement Friday.

“NBCU’s legal team has done an exhaustive search of available records and conducted dozens of interviews of past and present staff, and uncovered no claims or settlements relating to allegations of inappropriate conduct by Matt Lauer that pre-date his firing,” the network added. “Only following his termination did we reach agreements with two women who had come forward for the very first time and those women have always been free to share their stories about Lauer with anyone they choose.”