Ken Fisher’s problem isn’t that he’s a 68-year-old man. It’s his derogatory comments.
October 29, 2019 by Maddy Perkins
Covering the diversity and inclusion beat at Financial Planning the past three years has left me somewhat desensitized to questions based on spurious reasoning. These queries range from whether the industry needs diversity (it does), whether sexual harassment is a problem at conferences (it is), and even some readers saying that covering conversations and events about diversity and inclusion is nonjournalistic propaganda (it’s not).
How can women and minorities feel comfortable in an environment where they have to listen to someone — who is widely considered an industry titan — deliver remarks like that?
Reporters have an ethical obligation to separate fact from opinion. Granted, this subject often requires us to sift through rightfully emotional responses. After Ken Fisher’s derogatory — and frankly unacceptable — comments were exposed by Lake Avenue Financial CEO Alex Chalekian, heated conversations erupted on wealth management Twitter (aka FinTwit) about how women are treated at industry conferences. For me, reaching a conclusion that Fisher’s comments were offensive was fairly straightforward: He rudely compared recruiting wealthy clients to picking up a woman at a bar. It appears Fisher has not reserved offensive comments for women: In the past, he criticized Abraham Lincoln for his role in abolishing slavery, according to a recent article in Forbes.
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