Editing NBC News (section)

=== Sexual misconduct and NBC News ===
[[File:Matt Lauer 2012 Shankbone.JPG|thumb|[[Matt Lauer]] in 2012]]
On November 29, 2017, NBC News announced that [[Matt Lauer]]'s employment had been terminated after an unidentified female NBC employee reported that Lauer had sexually harassed her during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and that the harassment continued after they returned to New York.<ref>{{cite news|author=<!--Not stated-->|title=Matt Lauer Allegedly Sexually Harassed Colleague During 2014 Sochi Olympics: Report| url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/matt-lauer-allegedly-sexually-assaulted-colleague-during-2014-sochi-olympics-report/|magazine=[[Us Weekly]]|date=November 29, 2017|access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref>  NBC News management said it had been aware that ''The New York Times'' and ''Variety'' had been conducting independent investigations of Lauer's behavior,<ref name="de Morales">{{cite web|last1=de Morales|first1=Lisa|title=Two More Complaints Against Matt Lauer Filed Wednesday: Report|url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/matt-lauer-two-more-complaints-sexual-harassment-1202216962/|website=Deadline|date=November 29, 2017|access-date=November 30, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130012556/http://deadline.com/2017/11/matt-lauer-two-more-complaints-sexual-harassment-1202216962/|archive-date=November 30, 2017}}</ref> but that management had been unaware of previous allegations against Lauer.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/11/29/news/lack-statement-lauer/index.html |title=Read Andy Lack's statement on Matt Lauer's firing |work=[[CNN]] |date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=December 2, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202102811/http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/29/news/lack-statement-lauer/index.html |archive-date=December 2, 2017  }}</ref><ref name=Reuters29Nov17>{{Cite news |url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-mattlauer/nbc-news-fired-today-show-co-host-matt-lauer-for-sexual-misconduct-idUSKBN1DT1NY |title = NBC News fires 'Today' co-host Matt Lauer for sexual misconduct |last1 = Cherelus |first1 = Gina |last2 = Allen |first2 = Jonathan |work = Reuters |access-date = November 29, 2017 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171129133553/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-mattlauer/nbc-news-fired-today-show-co-host-matt-lauer-for-sexual-misconduct-idUSKBN1DT1NY |archive-date = November 29, 2017 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>  Linda Vester, a former NBC News correspondent, disputed the claims that management knew nothing, saying that "everybody knew" that Lauer was dangerous.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=October 19, 2019|title=Former NBC News correspondent Linda Vester blasts network for Matt Lauer probe: 'We all knew Matt was dangerous'|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/former-nbc-news-correspondent-linda-vester-blasts-network-for-matt-lauer-probe-we-all-knew-matt-was-dangerous-165954734.html|website=yahoo.com|date=October 17, 2019 }}</ref>  According to [[Ronan Farrow]], multiple sources have stated that NBC News was not only aware of Lauer's misconduct beforehand, but that Harvey Weinstein used this knowledge to pressure them into killing a story that would have outed his own sexual misconduct.<ref name="vanityfair" /><ref>{{cite web|access-date=October 19, 2019|title=Harvey Weinstein threatened to expose Matt Lauer in 2017 if NBC didn't kill misconduct story: Ronan Farrow|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/harvey-weinstein-threatened-to-expose-matt-lauer-in-2017-if-nbc-didnt-kill-misconduct-story-ronan-farrow-182241549.html|website=yahoo.com|date=October 17, 2019 }}</ref>  ''Variety'' reported allegations by at least ten of Lauer's current and former colleagues.<ref name=Variety29Nov2017>{{Cite news |url = https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/matt-lauer-accused-sexual-harassment-multiple-women-1202625959/ |title = Matt Lauer Accused of Sexual Harassment by Multiple Women (Exclusive) |last1 = Setoodeh |first1 = Ramin |last2 = Wagmeister |first2 = Elizabeth |date = November 29, 2017 |access-date = December 3, 2017 |work = Variety |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171203003742/http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/matt-lauer-accused-sexual-harassment-multiple-women-1202625959/ |archive-date = December 3, 2017 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Additional accusations went public in the ensuing days.<ref name="de Morales"/><ref name="USAToday">{{cite web| url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2017/11/30/matt-lauer-releases-statement-after-firing-there-no-words-express-my-sorrow/908287001/| title = Matt Lauer scandal: There may be as many as 8 victims, Lauer breaks his silence| last = Jensen| first = Ellen| access-date = November 30, 2017| work = [[USA Today]]| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171130134652/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2017/11/30/matt-lauer-releases-statement-after-firing-there-no-words-express-my-sorrow/908287001/| archive-date = November 30, 2017| df = mdy-all}}</ref>

NBC News President [[Noah Oppenheim]] suggested an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by [[Harvey Weinstein]] after NBC contributor [[Ronan Farrow]] pitched a general idea to report on sexual harassment in Hollywood.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Guthrie|first1=Marisa|title=Ronan Farrow, the Hollywood Prince Who Torched the Castle|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/ronan-farrow-hollywood-prince-who-torched-castle-1073405|access-date=January 11, 2018|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 10, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111004520/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/ronan-farrow-hollywood-prince-who-torched-castle-1073405|archive-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref>  After a 10-month investigation by Farrow and NBC Producer Rich McHugh, NBC chose not to publish it.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|last1=Koblin|first1=John|title=How Did NBC Miss Out on a Harvey Weinstein Exposé?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/business/media/nbc-news-harvey-weinstein.html?_r=0|access-date=January 10, 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 11, 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111164900/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/business/media/nbc-news-harvey-weinstein.html?_r=0|archive-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref><ref name=apnews>{{cite web|access-date=October 19, 2019|title=Farrow details lack of enthusiasm at NBC for Weinstein story|url=https://apnews.com/704b06d0aef8494484f365d98ea7137c|date=October 15, 2019|website=AP NEWS}}</ref> The story, with very few changes, was published a few weeks later in the ''[[New Yorker Magazine]]'' instead.<ref name="vanityfair">{{cite magazine|access-date=October 19, 2019|title="Stand Down": Ronan Farrow's Producer on How NBC Killed Its Weinstein Story|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/10/how-nbc-killed-its-weinstein-story|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=October 11, 2019}}</ref> A story on the subject of Weinstein's alleged behavior also appeared several days earlier in ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref name=WP>{{cite news|last1=Farhi|first1=Paul|title=Why did NBC News let the Weinstein blockbuster get away? Once again, questions mount.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/why-did-nbc-news-let-the-weinstein-blockbuster-get-away-once-again-questions-mount/2017/10/11/d845714a-ae98-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html|access-date=January 11, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=October 11, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128175103/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/why-did-nbc-news-let-the-weinstein-blockbuster-get-away-once-again-questions-mount/2017/10/11/d845714a-ae98-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html|archive-date=January 28, 2018}}</ref> Following criticism for missing a major story it had initiated, NBC News defended the decision, saying that at the time Farrow was at NBC, the early reporting still had important missing necessary elements.<ref name=HR>{{cite news|last1=Guthrie|first1=Marisa|title=Why Ronan Farrow's Harvey Weinstein Bombshell Did Not Run on NBC|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-ronan-farrows-harvey-weinstein-bombshell-did-not-run-nbc-1047671|access-date=January 10, 2018|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 11, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111165102/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-ronan-farrows-harvey-weinstein-bombshell-did-not-run-nbc-1047671|archive-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> Farrow later disputed this characterization, saying that he had multiple named accusers willing to come forward and that the version ultimately published in the ''New Yorker'' had very few changes from the version that NBC News rejected.<ref name="vanityfair" /><ref name=apnews /><ref name=HR /> This version went on to win the [[Pulitzer Prize for Public Service]] in April 2018.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dzhanova|first1=Yelena|title=Pulitzer Prizes award reporters who detailed sexual assault in Hollywood|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/pulitzer-prizes-award-reporters-who-detailed-sexual-assault-hollywood-n866431|work=NBC News|date=April 16, 2018}}</ref>  A former NBC News executive has said that the story on Weinstein was killed because NBC News was aware of the sexual misconduct by Lauer; in [[Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators]], Ronan Farrow cites two sources within [[American Media, Inc.]] stating that the story was killed in response to an overt threat from Weinstein to out Lauer.<ref name="vanityfair" /><ref>{{cite web|first1=Patrick|last1=Ryan|access-date=October 19, 2019|title=Ronan Farrow says NBC's alleged cover-up of sexual misconduct is 'bigger' than Matt Lauer|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2019/10/14/ronan-farrow-new-book-catch-and-kill-alleged-cover-up-harvey-weinstein-matt-lauer/3948761002/|website=USA Today}}</ref>