Vice Media Apologizes For Harassment and Company Indifference
Recent reports have revealed that Vice Media has been accused of cultivating a workplace culture of harassment and indifference. Following the allegations, the media company has released a statement to address the issue.
According to The Daily Beast, an associate producer by the name of Phoebe Barghouty was 23 years old when she was hired for a dream job as an associate producer in Vice Media. She reported directly to the then-Editor in Chief, Jason Mojica, and the bureau chief, Kaj Larsen. The latter hired her and decided to celebrate it with some drinks. By the end of the night, Larsen has brought up the topic of sex, asked Barghouty for a ride home, and passed on in her car.
As time went by, the situation only worsened as Larsen asked her to spend some time with him in his home in Venice Beach. Furthermore, Larsen had begun to touch her in ways that she noted that he does not do to other employees. Barghouty shared that she had tried to address the issue with human resources before it dawned it on her that Vice Media fostered a culture of harassment and company indifference.
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"Listening to our employees over the past year, the truth is inescapable: from the top down, we have failed as a company to create a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone, especially women, can feel respected and thrive," Vice Media said in a statement. "Cultural elements from our past, dysfunction and mismanagement were allowed to flourish unchecked. That includes a detrimental "boy's club" culture that fostered inappropriate behaviour that permeated throughout the company. It happened on our watch, and ultimately we let far too many people down. We are truly sorry for this."
The executives of the company have also published the actions they have since taken since the accusations were made and the investigations were launched.
