Report: iHeartMedia Staffer Scrambles to Fix ‘Only Diverse Hires’ Memo After News Exposé

(INSET: iHeartMedia executive producer Molly Socha) NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: A general v
Monica Schipper/Getty Images for iHeart Media, MollySocha.com

A new report says an executive producer at iHeartMedia said the radio giant is only looking at “diverse” candidates for a recent job posting but then retracted that specific language after being contacted by a journalist.

Molly Socha, executive producer of custom podcasts at iHeartMedia, made the statement in a job posting sent to a listserv for the New York City radio industry, according to a report from CNSNews, which obtained the email.

“Diversity is incredibly important to our team and our company so we are looking at only diverse hires at this time,” Socha wrote.

After being contacted by CNSNews, Socha (pictured) reportedly emailed the listserv with a retraction.

I made an error in language in my last note, so I just want to clarify,  ALL are welcome to apply and we will consider ALL qualified candidates. That being said, in our efforts to elevate diverse voices in the predominately white podcast space, we strongly encourage engineers/editors of color––regardless of gender and sexual orientation–– to apply. [emphasis original]

Discriminating against a job applicant on the basis of race is illegal under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The iHeartMedia job in question was for a “podcast editor/engineer.” The public job listing makes no mention of the diversity requirement and contains a statement that iHeartMedia “is an equal opportunity employer and will not tolerate discrimination in employment.”

As the left continues to put pressure on the private sector to embrace diversity and inclusion, companies are finding themselves in a legal bind. Bloomberg Law reported companies who make diversity a hiring priority must weigh the possibility of penalties from the Labor Department as well as discrimination lawsuits that can result in damages.

IHeartMedia is the country’s largest owner of radio stations and also has become a giant in the realm of podcasting.

Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com

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