Former VP of ABC News, Barbara Fedida, got the boot after accusations of abusive and racist statements surfaced.
To get a flavor of Fedida’s demeanor, this NYT article notes a wage dispute. In response to a salary proposal, she scoffed saying the candidate was not being asked to “pick cotton.”
Yashar Ali broke the story and immediately ABC went into damage control mode.
The response? The legal team clocks in and Fedida ends up on administrative leave. In a Memo from ABC, Chairman of Walt Disney Television, Peter Rice said,
The investigation substantiated that Ms. Fedida did make some of the unacceptable racially insensitive comments attributed to her. It also substantiated that Ms. Fedida managed in a rough manner and, on occasion, used crass and inappropriate language
Too Little Too Late
But, why fire Fedida now? After all, she had devoted nearly two decades to ABC. She did not become toxic overnight! In fact, her demeanor seems indicative of the “good ol boys” attitude prominent in corporate media.
I guarantee that Fedida is walking away with a substantial severance package. And her extended time with ABC means she walks away with plenty of dirt to protect her from any real consequences.
Do we really think that Barbara Fedida represents a one off situation? It boggles the mind that Americans give so much time and resources to keeping these medial moguls fat.
This story represents a moment where the curtain lifted enough to remind us what really is valued in corporate America. Unfortunately, the cancel mob keeps supporting these moguls with their eyes and with their money.
