, Columnist
What If Robots Did the Hiring at Fox News?
If the status quo demeaned women, the network would keep doing so.
Thought experiment.
Photographer: John Lamparski/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
What if Fox News decided to address its gender and racial discrimination issues by entrusting personnel decisions to an algorithm? It’s a fascinating thought experiment -- and one that helps illustrate the dangers of putting too much trust in big data.
The channel’s problems won’t end with the passing of founder Roger Ailes, who resigned last year amid abundant allegations of sexual harassment. Just last week, a racial harassment complaint claimed yet another Fox host, and three more women filed suit saying that sexist and racial discrimination derailed their careers.