The Numbers Behind O’Reilly’s Advertising Exodus And Endemic Workplace Sexual Harassment

Written by Julie Alderman

Published

As Media Matters has documented, so far at least 70 companies have pulled their advertisements from airing during Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor after The New York Times reported on April 1 that Fox host Bill O’Reilly and 21st Century Fox paid around $13 million over the years to five women “in exchange for agreeing to not pursue litigation or speak about their” accounts of sexual harassment involving O’Reilly, which included reports of “verbal abuse, lewd comments, unwanted advances and phone calls in which it sounded as if Mr. O’Reilly was masturbating.” Here’s a look at some of the numbers behind the advertiser exodus hitting The O’Reilly Factor, and the systemic issue of sexual harassment in the workplace:

  • 70: At least 70 advertisers have dropped their ads from airing during The O’Reilly Factor since the Times’ report.

  • 36: Thirty-six ads appeared on the March 31 edition of The O’Reilly Factor.

  • 8: Only eight ads appeared on the April 6 edition of The O’Reilly Factor.

  • 18 Minutes And 30 Seconds: On the March 31 edition of The O’Reilly Factor, ads aired for 18 minutes and 30 seconds.

  • 6 Minutes And 20 Seconds: On the April 6 edition of The O’Reilly Factor, ads aired for 6 minutes and 20 seconds.

  • 5: Super Beta has aired five ads on the program since the New York Times report, making it the most frequent advertiser on The O’Reilly Factor since April 1.

  • 0: O’Reilly has spent zero time on his program discussing the sexual harassment settlements since the New York Times report.

  • 1 In 3: According to a 2015 survey, one in three women between the ages of 18 and 34 has been sexually harassed in a workplace.

  • Over 90 Percent: A 2014 report found that over 90 percent of female tipped restaurant workers experienced sexual harassment in their workplace.

  • 70 Percent: According to a study cited by the National Law Review, 70 percent of women who have experienced workplace sexual harassment “say they have never reported it for fear of retaliation.”

Methodology

To code for the number of advertisements, Media Matters counted each individual advertisement that appeared on the 8 p.m. edition of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor as aired on DirecTV channel 360 in Washington D.C. between March 31 and April 6.

To code for the time length of advertisements, Media Matters timed the beginning and end of commercial breaks to calculate totals.

To code for mentions of O’Reilly sexual harassment settlements, Media Matters searched SnapStream for mentions of “harass” on The O’Reilly Factor from March 31 to April 6.

Graphs by Sarah Wasko