UltraViolet Pushes Major Advertisers to Stop Funding The O’Reilly Factor, Sever Ties with Fox News Until Sexual Abusers are Held Accountable

After an investigation by The New York Times this weekend revealed that Fox News has spent more than $13 million dollars defending host Bill O’Reilly from allegations of sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior, UltraViolet, a leading women’s advocacy organization, has renewed its call for the network to fire the O’Reilly Factor host.  UltraViolet has also been a leading organization in calling for major companies that advertise on the O’Reilly Factor to pull their ads in the demand for accountability.

Photo courtesy of Ultraviolet

Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, issued the following statement:

“Fox News needs to fire Bill O’Reilly immediately.  The lack of accountability here is outrageous.  The fact that Fox News would spend millions defending and settling allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against Bill O’Reilly to avoid holding him accountable for his crimes proves that Fox News executives are more concerned with protecting their public image, and that of their male anchors, than creating an environment that is safe for all its employees.

“Any advertiser that runs ads on Fox News and Bill O’Reilly’s show should recognize that this dangerous lack of accountability at the network is bad for women, bad for the women who work at Fox News, and frankly, bad for business.  No responsible company should allow systematic sexual abuse to occur and prioritize the cover-up over accountability.  Until Fox News proves that is committed to creating a safe work environment for all its employees – no advertiser should spend money to support the network.

“Fox News must immediately fire Bill O’Reilly and conduct an independent investigation into sexual harassment and assault at the network – removing anyone found guilty of, or complicit in, these crimes.”

Since August 2016, UltraViolet has called for Fox News to fire Bill O’Reilly and launch a full investigation into sexual harassment and abuse at the network.

• In August 2016, following claims that Andrea Tantaros was sexually harassed by Bill O’Reilly, UltraViolet called for the O’Reilly Factor host to be immediately suspended, and a full investigation launched into sexual harassment and abuse at the news network.
• In January 2017, after the New York Times reported that Roger Ailes secretly settled sexual harassment claims against O’Reilly, UltraViolet demanded the network fire O’Reilly.
• UltraViolet launched and maintains an online ad campaign targeting Fox News employees with an ad reading: “Have You Been Harassed by Bill?”
• More than 38,000[1]  UltraViolet members have signed onto a petition calling on 21st Century Fox to fire Fox News CEO Bill Shine and Fox News host Bill O’Reilly over their role in taking part in and covering up abuse at Fox News.
• More than 53,000 UltraViolet members have signed onto a petition calling on advertisers to the O’Reilly Factor and Fox News to cut ties with the network over the lack of accountability for sex crimes.

UltraViolet is an online community of over 1,000,000 women and men who want to take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org.

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