MUST WATCH – this sign off from @KatyTurNBC
“We can talk about the sea change or reckoning until we are all blue in the face but the real question right now is ‘what’s next'” pic.twitter.com/e82QQDwbWS
— Kendall Breitman (@KendallBreitman) November 29, 2017
On Wednesday, NBC had the uncomfortable duty of addressing and reporting on Matt Lauer’s firing from the network following an allegation of “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” Reactions to Lauer’s exit (and the subsequent allegations that have followed) have been swift, including responses from former NBC News colleagues.
In her closing remarks before signing off from her MSNBC slot, Katy Tur addressed Lauer’s alleged misconduct and the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace at large. Taking a moment to “respond to the news about Matt Lauer and not speak as a journalist or as an NBC employee, but as a human being,” Tur delivered a poignant reflection on what predatory behavior means beyond news cycle headlines.
“We focus on the salacious headlines, the next star to fall, because it is shocking and it makes for news,” said Tur. “But bad behavior happens at all levels across all industries. Quinnipiac research shows 60 percent of women say they have been sexually harassed. Most of those women say that it happened at work.”
She warns that the increased visibility of the issue doesn’t equal automatic change. Actual steps need to be taken.
“We can talk about the sea change or reckoning until we are all blue in the face but the real question right now is ‘what’s next’,” offers Tur. “What concrete measures can be put in place by organizations large and small in the workplace?”
The entire sign off and the observations within it are definitely worth your time.