As Fox News stars railed against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives on the network’s airwaves, the company was boasting about their commitment to DEI behind the scenes.
The conservative network’s hypocrisy on DEI was first revealed in media reporter Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter on Friday.
According to Darcy, every job listing declared that the company was “deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent.”
“Reflecting the diversity of the world around us is critical to our company’s success,” the listings added.
DEI programs, which are measures put in place to ensure that people of all backgrounds, including from historically marginalized groups, can thrive in organizations, have been under attack by Republicans.
The attacks have heightened since Donald Trump returned to the White House and signed several executive orders rolling back DEI initiatives at federal agencies.
The president also suggested on Thursday—without evidence—that DEI at the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) “could have” caused the deadly aircraft collision between a commercial flight and a military helicopter in Washington D.C., in which 67 people were killed.
Darcy reported that Fox News hosts echoed Trump’s comments during their shows on Thursday.
Sean Hannity said that the crash highlighted “why DEI can be dangerous.” Jesse Watters blamed air traffic control’s inability to meet their “D.E.I. quotas” for staffing shortages. Laura Ingraham also demanded that “all that nonsense [about] diversity has to go.”
Asked about the contradiction, Darcy reported that Fox scrubbed the DEI language from all their job listings.
A spokesperson for the network claims that the move was part of a routine legal review.
“Fox News Media routinely reviews our legal obligations including under federal, state, and local law and we have removed this language,” the spokesperson said.
