Sexual harassment and a moment of reckoning for our culture

In a newly updated hour-long special report called "Sexual Harassment: A Moment of Reckoning," NPR Weekend Edition Sunday host Lulu Garcia-Navarro looks at the significance of this moment and what it could mean for the culture.

Minnesota U.S. Senator Al Franken's Senate career hangs in the balance because of sexual harassment and misconduct accusations. A majority of Democratic Senators on Wednesday called for him to resign.

Time magazine has named the social movement aimed at raising awareness about sexual harassment and assault, epitomized by the #MeToo social media hashtag, as the most influential "person" in 2017, the publication announced on Wednesday.

It has been a little more than a year since President Trump, then candidate-Trump, faced furious criticism over the now infamous Access Hollywood video featuring his comments about groping women. He subsequently faced a barrage of sexual harassment claims. While the moment sparked a national conversation about sexual harassment, it did not quash his Presidential aspirations.

Over the past year, sexual harassment remained in the news, with accusations at NPR, American Public Media Group, WNYC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, with lawsuits and the resignations of prominent TV and radio personalities.

But this fall, floodgates seemed to open and stories have been pouring out. After revelations about the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, the hashtag #MeToo was born and more allegations surfaced in Hollywood, in sports, in business, in politics and at media organizations, including NPR. While accusations of sexual harassment are not new, this year's reactions and consequences are different.

To listen to the program, click the audio player above.