美国国家公共电台 NPR--Fired Tucker Carlson producer: Misogyny and bullying 'trickles down from the top'

Fired Tucker Carlson producer: Misogyny and bullying¹ 'trickles² down from the top'

Transcript³

Allegations painting Fox News as an abusive workplace that excuses misogyny and anti-Semitism have been put on blast in the aftermath of star host Tucker Carlson's abrupt⁴ firing earlier this week.

Misogyny was "blatant⁵" on Carlson's show and across Fox News, Abby Grossberg, a former senior booker for Tucker Carlson Tonight told NPR's Leila Fadel on Morning Edition.

"They don't care about telling the truth and they don't care about women," Grossberg said of Fox News. "All they care about are ratings and revenue."

Fox has not explained the reasoning behind Carlson's dismissal, which came a week after it settled a high-profile lawsuit⁶ with the election-tech company Dominion⁷ Voting Systems. The network also fired Carlson's executive producer, Justin Wells.

Both Carlson and Wells are named as individual defendants⁸ in an ongoing⁹ lawsuit by Grossberg, who is suing them and the network for gender¹⁰ and religious discrimination, as well as unequal pay and failing to accommodate disabilities in federal court in New York.

Grossberg began working at the show in September 2022, moving over from Fox's Sunday Morning Futures¹¹ with Maria Bartiromo. In her suit, Grossberg describes an environment at Fox News that "subjugates¹² women based on vile¹³ sexist stereotypes¹⁴, typecasts religious minorities and belittles¹⁵ their traditions, and demonstrates little to no regard for those suffering from mental illness."

"We're just following Tucker's tone"

Grossberg said her complaints about abuse were dismissed.

"I ultimately went and complained to one of my supervisors¹⁶ about the abuse and the bullying and the gaslighting and misogyny that I was putting up with at Tucker," Grossberg said. "And his response to me was, 'We're just following Tucker's tone. That's Tucker's tone.' And I do really believe that it all trickles down from the top."

When asked if she blames Carlson for the toxic¹⁷ environment, Grossberg said that she does. "It's his show," she said.

She worked on the show just a few months before seeking medical leave for anxiety and depression in January.

"Fox News engaged an independent outside counsel to immediately investigate the concerns raised by Ms. Grossberg, which were made following a critical performance review," according to a statement from a Fox News spokesperson.

Grossberg sued in March; the network fired her days after.

Grossberg, who is Jewish, also alleges¹⁸ in her lawsuit that she and other Jewish colleagues were ridiculed¹⁹ for their faith. She told NPR that she raised her concerns to Fox.

Sometime after that, Grossberg said she came into work and found "holiday decorations everywhere," including a Christmas tree next to her desk. "There was a crassly²⁰ written, handwritten sign on that tree that read 'Hanukkah Bush' next to my desk, which I found to be offensive," she said.

Grossberg said she reported that incident to human resources but the department dismissed her concerns, saying other Jewish employees didn't feel the same.

"I was told that didn't offend them, so that made it okay. It was more about feelings than facts," Grossberg said, adding, "I think that translates on air as well."

At Carlson's show, male colleagues regularly made comments that were demeaning to women, according to Grossberg. "There were conversations that women who had tattoos²¹ or piercings or colored hair were disgusting," Grossberg told Fadel.

Before joining the team, Grossberg said she thought Carlson's racist²² and misogynistic²³ remarks were all for show.

"I was hopeful that maybe there was a kinder person behind the on-air persona," Grossberg said, "but unfortunately, it's quite the reverse."

"What's being said in the office by his team and also his lieutenants²⁴ who are carrying out his orders is very consistent with what ends up on the air and what the public sees," said Grossberg.

Carlson: "I never met her"

In a brief statement issued Monday morning, the network announced it had "agreed to part ways" with Carlson, who had been widely considered to be the face of the Fox News brand.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his firing, Carlson posted a vague two-minute video to Twitter on Wednesday night.

"True things prevail," he said in the video. "Where can you still find Americans saying true things? There aren't many places left, but there are some, and that's enough. As long as you can hear the words, there is hope. See you soon."

In response to a question about Grossberg's allegations, Carlson told NPR, "I know nothing about her. I never met her."

Indeed, Grossberg told NPR's Leila Fadel that the show staff was based in New York, but Carlson mostly worked from Maine or Florida, "where he doesn't have to take accountability for what he says on air or what goes on in the office. And I think that's very deliberate. And he has three men that carry out his orders and make sure that we do follow."

Grossberg said she was "in disbelief" when she heard that Carlson had been fired.

"Obviously I'm at the center of this with two suits that he's named in. And I also endured a very abusive atmosphere in his office. So feelings were mixed. It went from being very excited to, you know, that there was some justice to also not wanting anybody to be hurt that was there that had lost their jobs," she said.

Grossberg says Fox attorneys pressured her to lie in Dominion case

In a separate suit filed in Delaware, Grossberg is suing the network and its attorneys. She says they set her up to take the blame, along with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, for broadcasting the falsehoods about election fraud in 2020 that were at the heart of Dominion's defamation²⁵ case against Fox.

Grossberg alleges that Fox attorneys pressured her to lie under oath in order to downplay the misogyny she says is rampant²⁶ at Fox News.

"The assertion that Ms. Grossberg was coached or intimidated²⁷ into being dishonest during her Dominion deposition²⁸ is patently false. We will continue to vigorously defend Fox against her unmeritorious legal claims, which are riddled²⁹ with false allegations against the network and our employees," according to a second statement from a Fox News spokesperson.

Although Fox settled the suit with Dominion earlier this month, paying it $787.5 million to avert³⁰ a trial, there's more still to come.

Another voting-tech company, Smartmatic, which is headquartered in London, has also sued Fox News for defamation over election fraud lies. It is seeking $2.7 billion in damages.

"We will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025," according to the Fox News spokesperson. "As a report prepared by our financial expert shows, Smartmatic's damages claims are implausible, disconnected from reality, and on its face intended to chill First Amendment³¹ freedoms."

Lawyers for Smartmatic have subpoenaed³² Grossberg in that case.

1 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 trickles   

n.细流( trickle的名词复数 )；稀稀疏疏缓慢来往的东西v.滴( trickle的第三人称单数 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

参考例句：

• Trickles of sweat rained down my head and neck. 我颈上头上的汗珠，更同盛雨似的，一颗一颗的钻出来了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
• Water trickles through an underground grotto. 水沿着地下岩洞流淌。 来自辞典例句

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 abrupt   

adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的

参考例句：

• The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。
• His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

5 blatant   

adj.厚颜无耻的；显眼的；炫耀的

参考例句：

• I cannot believe that so blatant a comedy can hoodwink anybody.我无法相信这么显眼的一出喜剧能够欺骗谁。
• His treatment of his secretary was a blatant example of managerial arrogance.他管理的傲慢作风在他对待秘书的态度上表露无遗。

6 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

7 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

8 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

9 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

10 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

11 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

12 subjugates   

v.征服，降伏( subjugate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• When the external of man's nature subjugates the internal, dark storm clouds begin to form. 一旦人的外部世界征服了内部世界，黑暗的乌云就会开始形成。 来自互联网

13 vile   

adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的

参考例句：

• Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
• Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

14 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 belittles   

使显得微小，轻视，贬低( belittle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The size of the office tower belittles the surrounding buildings. 这座办公楼的规模使周围的建筑物相形见小。
• The bulk of the warehouse belittles the houses around it. 货栈的庞大使周围的房屋显得矮小了。

16 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

17 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

18 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

19 ridiculed   

v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Biosphere 2 was ultimately ridiculed as a research debade, as exfravagant pseudoscience. 生物圈2号最终被讥讽为科研上的大失败，代价是昂贵的伪科学。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She ridiculed his insatiable greed. 她嘲笑他的贪得无厌。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 crassly   

adv.粗鲁地，愚钝地

参考例句：

• I know one investment banking boss who penalises underlings for lobbying crassly. 我认识的一位投行老板就会惩罚那些过分游说的下级。 来自互联网

21 tattoos   

n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

23 misogynistic   

参考例句：

• And it brings out everything that is most noxious and misogynistic about the right. 而且，这种情绪也流露出右派思想中最为保守有害，歧视女性的那一面。 来自互联网

24 lieutenants   

n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员

参考例句：

• In the army, lieutenants are subordinate to captains. 在陆军中，中尉是上尉的下级。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Lieutenants now cap at 1.5 from 1. Recon at 1. 中尉现在由1人口增加的1.5人口。侦查小组成员为1人口。 来自互联网

25 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

26 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

27 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 deposition   

n.免职，罢官；作证；沉淀；沉淀物

参考例句：

• It was this issue which led to the deposition of the king.正是这件事导致了国王被废黜。
• This leads to calcium deposition in the blood-vessels.这导致钙在血管中沉积。

29 riddled   

adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式)

参考例句：

• The beams are riddled with woodworm. 这些木梁被蛀虫蛀得都是洞。
• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

31 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

32 subpoenaed   

v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court subpoenaed her to appear as a witness. 法庭传唤她出庭作证。
• The finance director is subpoenaed by prosecution. 财务经理被检查机关传讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》