More than 100 former ABC News employees, including Sam Donaldson, Tom Bettag and Judy Muller, have signed on to a letter urging Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger to step it up when it comes to publicly defending journalists under political attacks and the company itself against government pressure.
“We want to acknowledge and commend your decision to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s show,” the ABC News employees wrote in the letter, first reported by CNN. “It was the right call and an important statement that political intimidation should not dictate ABC’s programming. This action reflects the values that have long defined The Walt Disney Company.
“Yet, it must be just the first step in a concerted effort to defend free speech and press freedom against political intimidation. The $16 million settlement with Donald Trump, combined with the absence of a strong public defense of ABC News journalists under attack, has emboldened Administration efforts to intimidate the press.”
Also signing on to the letter was Kayce Freed Jennings, the widow of World News Tonight anchor Peter Jennings. The letter was organized by Lisa Stark, a former correspondent, and Ian Cameron, a former executive producer, per CNN.
The letter states, “Your legacy includes a reputation as a staunch defender of the essential role of journalism in a healthy democracy. We urge you now to reaffirm that legacy by: Making clear that ABC News—and Disney—will not be silenced or intimidated by political pressure; Publicly and unequivocally defending ABC journalists against political attacks; Aggressively pushing back against government efforts to undermine the First Amendment.”
In December, just before Donald Trump took office, ABC settled his defamation lawsuit for $16 million. Trump sued the network and George Stephanopoulos over the This Week anchor’s claim that the then-former president had been found liable for rape by a New York jury. In fact, Trump was found liable to sexual assault.
Last week, hours after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned ABC stations over a remark that Jimmy Kimmel made on his ABC late night show, the network pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely. But that action generated a backlash against Disney, with Barack Obama and former CEO Michael Eisner calling on corporate executives to stand up to the administration.
A Disney spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
Just before Kimmel returned to the air on Tuesday, Trump posted a new threat to the network, vowing to take action alleging that his show was an “illegal campaign contribution.” “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do,” Trump wrote. The Federal Election Commission has a news media exemption, and a campaign finance expert, Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform at the Campaign Legal Center, said that the network and Disney also would fall under an exemption for commercial activity. “There is no indication the decision [to bring Kimmel back] is being driven by anything other than a commercial decision. That is not even close to a campaign contribution,” Ghosh said.
The post More Than 100 Former ABC News Employees Call On Disney CEO Bob Iger To Make Clear Network “Will Not Be Silenced Or Intimidated By Political Pressure” appeared first on Deadline.
