Credibility at risk, media cuts stars loose over sex claims
NEW YORK — The consequences came swiftly after the allegations emerged against Charlie Rose. Within hours, the veteran news host was suspended by CBS and his PBS interview show was pulled off the air. The next day, he was fired.
Rose became the latest in a string of prominent journalists felled abruptly by accusations of sexual misconduct. While news organizations aren’t the only companies taking prompt measures against the accused, they face particular pressure to act because of the risk of losing the audience’s trust as they cover the sex scandals coursing through politics, Hollywood and the media itself.
“Our credibility in that reporting requires credibility managing basic standards of behaviour” inside the network, CBS News president David Rhodes told staffers Tuesday in a memo announcing the firing of Rose, the “CBS This Morning” co-host and “60 Minutes” contributor. PBS also cut ties to Rose.
Rose’s downfall came after he was accused in The Washington Post of groping women, walking naked in front of them or making lewd phone calls. He apologized for his behaviour while questioning the accuracy of some of the accounts.