On Monday, Rupert Murdoch lost another prominent employee to the exodus that has plagued his media empire for decades. This time it was the unexpected removal of Tucker Carlson as a host on Fox News. There has been an active exit door for premium talent in the Murdoch empire.
In the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, some formerly esteemed employees of the Murdoch firms have been laid off, often with seemingly no warning.
One former senior Murdoch news editor in Australia filed a successful wrongful termination claim in 2010, alleging that his firing in 2008 was “capricious” and occurred shortly after he had purchased a home in the city where he worked.
After Fox resolved a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, in which Carlson’s private communications were made public, Fox dismissed Carlson the following week.
Abby Grossberg, a former producer for Tucker Carlson’s show, is suing the network because of the misogynistic and abusive work climate she claims she experienced there. Fox denies her claims, while Carlson has said nothing on the matter.
According to Paddy Manning, author of “The Successor,” a biography of the eldest Murdoch son, Lachlan Murdoch’s return to the family business in 2014 has coincided with an upsurge in high-profile departures of Murdoch employees who have faced claims of sexism and harassment.
Reports say that Lachlan, the newly appointed CEO of Fox Corp (the company that owns Fox News), was instrumental in the decision to fire Carlson.
Roger Ailes was a former Fox News head who was sued for sexual harassment, and more than two dozen more women accused him of engaging in sexually inappropriate behavior, ultimately leading to his ouster in 2016.
After several complaints of sexual harassment, Bill O’Reilly, Carlson’s predecessor at Fox News’ 8 p.m. prime time slot, was fired in 2017. He, too, refuted the charges.
In 2008, less than two years after being hired, Bruce Guthrie was let off his position as editor of the Herald Sun, a tabloid published in Melbourne. He claimed he was sacked because he didn’t think they were getting along. He was awarded damages of close to $400,000.
The past makes one wonder, “who’s next?”
