TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Disney's ABC News says senior executive leaving after alleged racist comments

ABC News said senior executive Barbara Fedida is leaving the company after an independent investigation alleged she had made racially insensitive comments and used inappropriate language.

  (Reuters)
Tue, July 21, 2020

Share This Article

Change Size

Disney's ABC News says senior executive leaving after alleged racist comments The ABC building in New York on December 11, 2013. (REUTERS/Eric Thayer)

A

BC News, a Walt Disney Co unit, said senior executive Barbara Fedida is leaving the company after an independent investigation alleged she had made racially insensitive comments and used inappropriate language, according to an email.

Fedida also managed in a rough manner and would not return to ABC, Disney executive Peter Rice told staff in an email which ABC shared with Reuters.

Fedida, the network's former senior vice president for talent, editorial strategy and business affairs, denied the allegations when they surfaced in media reports in June, describing them as "incredibly misleading". She said she had been a champion of diversity with a track record of hiring and promoting journalists of color.

Reuters was unable to reach Fedida for comment on Monday. Disney did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The investigation found no basis for allegations that Fedida was the subject of dozens of HR complaints, Rice said. He also said there was no evidence that ABC had spent millions of dollars in settlements related to her.

Read also: How Black Lives Matter is changing entertainment

ABC placed Fedida on leave last month while it investigated the allegations.

In the wake of the death of African American George Floyd, other media outlets - from the New York Times to Refinery29 and Bon Appetit - are also facing criticism over how they have handled the issue of race.

Rice said that "serious work" needed to be done to enhance the culture of inclusion at ABC.

Fedida's role would be split, with business affairs separated from talent relations and recruitment, each with its own head, he added.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.