Gretchen Carlson Suit Against Fox News Head Forces Network to Face Changing Mores
Respect and equality in the workplace don’t represent political correctness anymore, if they ever did. They are the cornerstones of modern human resource policies used by sophisticated companies. Mr. Ailes is not just bumping up against an annoyance he can wave away, he’s confronting a new world order, something Rupert Murdoch and his sons, James and Lachlan, understood when they issued a statement about the lawsuit saying, “We take these matters seriously’’ and would conduct an internal review.
..Mr. Ailes’s very approach to television — as the quintessential visual medium — has stood as a rebuke to those who might be sensitive to signs of female objectification. His sets are famous for their translucent desks, which show the legs of his female stars who are so often in skirts.
It was Ms. Carlson who once said that when she was a host on the set of “Fox & Friends,” the network’s morning program, “pants were not allowed.” Fox News has denied any such rule.
.. A few years ago, Mr. Ailes might have been free to defend himself with the unquestioned support of his like-minded longtime patron, Mr. Murdoch, who has stood by him as Mr. Ailes has brought in huge revenue ..
.. But Mr. Murdoch’s sons have different political and corporate sensibilities than their father.