NABJ Statement on ABC’s Firing of Barbara Fedida

WASHINGTON – The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is pleased that Disney/ABC News has taken decisive action by firing top ABC News executive Barbara Fedida, after substantiating allegations of racially insensitive comments made by her.

The actions of Fedida are uncalled for, and point to the kind of barriers Black journalists face in advancing in newsrooms across the country.

But we still call on Disney/ABC to do more. For more than a month, we’ve sought to schedule a meeting with Chairman Peter Rice to discuss:

– Immediate redress for those who were wronged by Barbara Fedida

– An African American should be put in charge of the network’s diversity-in-hiring program

– ABC News/Disney should hire an outside consultant to assess the culture and work environment and policies at ABC News.

NABJ is committed to standing up for and with Black journalists. We are living in a period where the voices of African American media professionals are as important as ever, and we are committed to ensuring opportunities for hiring and advancement are as fair and equitable as possible.

We look forward to hearing from Chairman Rice.

press@nabj.org