TLC & the Duggar Family Scandal
[By Howard Fencl, APR]
In the ongoing story of the Duggar family sex abuse scandal, the TLC cable television network on Thursday, July 16 announced that “after thoughtful consideration, TLC and the Duggar family have decided to not move forward with 19 Kids and Counting. The show will no longer appear on the air.” The cable network is taking this action two months after news broke that the family’s eldest son, Josh Duggar, as a teen allegedly molested five girls. Two of the girls, Josh’s sisters, confirmed in a Fox News interview that they were molested by him when they were younger.
The media has reported that the family knew about these allegations years ago, yet did not report the issue to a child welfare agency or to law enforcement authorities. It is not known if TLC knew about the molestation claims. The network has been largely silent on the issue, until this week’s announcement.
We often talk about the “3Vs” frame for crisis stories, named for the three roles the media typically assign – a Villain, a Victim and a Vindicator. The Duggars have fallen into the Villain framework for their seeming hypocrisy –crusading moralists on their TV show who inexplicably covered up a potentially criminal issue. TLC’s initial silence on the issue fostered the perception of complicity in media reports, lumping the network in the Villain role as well.
The latest action by TLC is clearly a strategic attempt to reclaim the Vindicator role going forward in the saga. It is pulling the plug on the show. It further states it has “…consulted regularly with leading victims’ rights and advocacy organizations in the U.S., including RAINN and Darkness to Light, to discuss how to use this moment to address the issue and make a positive impact,” and has partnered with those organizations to launch an education campaign about the issue of child sexual abuse. To begin that campaign, TLC will work with those two groups to produce a commercial free documentary featuring the Duggars and other survivors and families that have been affected by abuse.”
To truly be a Vindicator in this situation, TLC’s motives must be altruistic. Commercially uninterrupted programs can still be underwritten by sponsors who are showcased at the beginning and end of a program, a model we see on PBS. In this instance, commercial free must be commercial free. TLC should not realize any revenue from the documentary. Additionally, the documentary should not be an attempt to lay the groundwork for a future TLC show with the family somehow involved.
If the network is acting out of genuine concern and compassion for victims of sexual violence, this is a tremendous strategy. Ideally, TLC should also commit all future revenue from 19 Kids and Counting’s licensing, and DVD and streaming sales to organizations such as RAINN and Darkness to Light. Empowering the viewing public to prevent child abuse and sexual violence is a vitally important mission. Time will tell if TLC is truly committed to that mission.
Stay tuned.