ABC News has placed Barbara Fedida on administrative leave following a report of behavior concerns at ABC News.
What is Happening:
- In a report on Huffington Post, reporter Yashar Ali detailed accusations against Barbara Fedida the Senior Vice President of Talent & Editorial Strategy & Business Affairs at ABC News.
- Included in the report are claims that Ms. Fedida made racially charged comments regarding Disney Legend Robin Roberts during contract negotiations.
- Mr. Ali said his investigation has been ongoing for six-months and involved interviews with 34 sources.
- None of the sources agreed to speak on the record for a variety of reasons.
- For a full detail of the allegations, you can read Mr. Ali’s report in the Huffington Post.
- ABC News has placed Ms. Fedida on administrative leave while they investigate the allegations.
What They Are Saying:
- ABC News: There are deeply disturbing allegations in this story that we need to investigate, and we have placed Barbara Fedida on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough and complete investigation. These allegations do not represent the values and culture of ABC News, where we strive to make everyone feel respected in a thriving, diverse and inclusive workplace.
- Barbara Fedida: Throughout my career, I have been a champion for increased diversity in network news. Building a news division where everyone can thrive has been my life’s mission. I am proud of my decades of work of hiring, supporting and promoting talented journalists of color. And, unlike these heartbreaking and incredibly misleading claims about me, that track record is well-documented and undeniable.”
- Byron Pitts, Nightline Anchor: My personal experience with Barbara Fedida is that she is not racist. I know what racism looks, smells and sounds like. Barbara Fedida is not any of those things. But I am respectful of other colleagues who have had a different experience.
- National Association of Black Journalists: We call for ABC News/Disney to immediately launch a transparent, external investigation led by a diverse law firm to examine all of the allegations detailed in the report, while conducting a thorough review of ABC News Executive Barbara Fedida, and the talent department that she has run at ABC News.