Former USA Today and Gannett television producer Lauren Ashburn says the "floodgates burst open" from other women after she wrote earlier this month about her own experience with repeated sexual harassment in the workplace.
In her original Nov. 3 article for The Daily Beast, Asburn doesn't identify her workplace, or any perpetrators. But she does reveal why she and other women remain silent -- unlike those accusing Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain.
"My fellow silent contingent of 'victims,'" she wrote, "does not want to go through life known primarily for speaking up about a horny man’s indiscretions. We want to be acknowledged for our brains, our business acumen, and our integrity, not as a 'problem' that has to be 'dealt with' by a most likely male-dominated corporate hierarchy."
Ashburn's Daily Best bio says she "is a 20-year journalist and former managing editor for USA Today and Gannett Broadcasting."
Have you experienced sexual harrassment at work? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
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| Ashburn |
"My fellow silent contingent of 'victims,'" she wrote, "does not want to go through life known primarily for speaking up about a horny man’s indiscretions. We want to be acknowledged for our brains, our business acumen, and our integrity, not as a 'problem' that has to be 'dealt with' by a most likely male-dominated corporate hierarchy."
Ashburn's Daily Best bio says she "is a 20-year journalist and former managing editor for USA Today and Gannett Broadcasting."
Have you experienced sexual harrassment at work? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
This wasn't sexual harassment, per se, but one of my direct supervisors tried to fix me up with a woman who attended his church; apparently he thought I was single.
ReplyDeleteThis was an extremely uncomfortable situation because 1) He was socially very conservative; and 2) I'm gay (although he didn't know this, and 3) I was, in fact, in a relationship with my then partner.
He meant well. I somehow extricated myself from that situation, and he never brought it up again. But I remember thinking that I wished he just stuck to business.
I wonder what Gannett's track record in this area.
ReplyDelete32 years ago when I was working at one of the larger Gannett properties, I was astonished to find our new (married) publisher hitting on women in his employ. He went on to a very high level career at USA Today (and beyond), where a good friend of mine noted that he'd taken up with a prominent female columnist.
This is all many, many years ago, but when the boss is doing stuff like that, it makes you wonder.
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ReplyDeleteI had a run in with a particular director that moved from Indianapolis to McLean to be with me. He chased me around and then I rejected him and he has since moved back to Indy.
ReplyDeleteThere is harassment in Gannett. But it was better than any other major company I ever worked for. (Try, for instance, Meredith Corp. The worst.) Gannett as best: Damning with faint praise.
ReplyDeleteBut better for women (and gays) than most. Without a doubt.
You might think sexual harassment is all about men abusing women. You'd think wrong.
ReplyDeleteI've had a VP-level female executive comment favorably on my choice of clothing during an elevator ride while her eyes swept up and down my body.
I've had a man grab my butt.
I had a female supervisor plant an unwanted kiss on my lips out of nowhere.
I felt violated every time.
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ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there are women, including one current Gannett vice president, who have slept their way to the top. I would say more, but I expect that Jim will remove this post as is...
ReplyDeleteAt one of the Midwest papers an editor had an ongoing relationship with one of the reporters. Obvious to everyone except management. Finally it got so out of hand he was suspended for two weeks. That didn't end the relationship. She was laid off and he has since taken up with another employee. Again management pretends not to know.
ReplyDeleteIt's not who you know----------
ReplyDeleteAnd the editor 11:40 refers to ended up getting divorced while at a previous Gannet paper because he again took up with a young single female reporter. She was casualty No. 2 as he moved on, and you're right - management pretends not to know even tho they have been confronted, and he is being protected by his (female) publisher - whwo was also publisher at the previous paper. Seems his career decisions are guided by his penis.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Nose-diving circulation, weak content, poor management, and horrific marketing. Now this.
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ReplyDeleteI'm in charge of that focus group. It's another passion topic.
ReplyDeleteNot too many years ago a publisher at the courier post in nj was "involved" with a female advertising director and everyone knew it was going on. The ad lady was an incompetent and moved up in position only for obvious reasons. So, this kind of stuff is not new and goes on at this and other gannett newspapers right now.
ReplyDeleteI do have to agree with 11:22am - it's not necessary to entirely blame the men.
ReplyDeleteAt my non-Gannett paper, there was a young staffer who was fairly well known for being a lech. He was very good at getting right up to the line without crossing it. He crossed my personal line one day and I took care of it on my own. I got called into the office for it, but never told anyone the whole story. He, however, got the hint and never bothered me again. He and I were the only two people who ever knew why I did what I did.
ReplyDeleteJim deleted my post because I used the "F" word. Probably the most common of all terms used in newsrooms.
ReplyDeletefurlough?
ReplyDeleteFreelancer?
ReplyDeleteActually, 11:40, their hands were sort of tied because the EE had a history, too. What's good for the goose is----
ReplyDeleteThe vp who has slept her way up. Is she by chance a Senior VP? That is the one I've observed.
ReplyDeleteWhen is it sexual harassment and when is it sexual advancement? Just sayin.
ReplyDelete