Cracks reappear at Channel 7 as TV presenter leaves newsroom

Five months after sensational leaked emails surfaced from 7 News, the thinly veiled cracks have re-emerged. And now, the newsroom’s toxic culture has claimed its first casualty after one reporter called it quits.

The Mean Girls of 7 News are back at it again.

Mean Girls is putting it mildly, said one. It’s Frontline on steroids, quipped another.

There was no shortage of expressions for the toxic culture pulsating over at Melbourne’s 7 News late last year.

Leaked emails found their way to Page 13. One from executive producer Lynne Scrivens, oddly titled “Year of the Woman — please read,” was sent to just the female reporters, slamming their so-called bitchy behaviour and backstabbing.

Page 13 has been told the dust settled after the leaked emails surfaced. It was smiles all around, with the reporters turning positively Pollyanna with one another.

Nothing to see here, as they kumbayaed around the newsroom for the start of 2019.

Seven News' culture has been described as “Frontline on steroids”. Picture: Google Maps

Fresh from Perth, new news director Shaun Menegola made it clear he was having none of the shark tank, survival of the fittest MO of yesteryear.

Insiders say a “cultural upheaval” has taken place.

But six odd months is a long time to keep up the Stepford smiles. Thinly veiled cracks started to reappear.

A long-time reporter was named cattily as “The Intern”.

Rivalry over who got what round and who got sent on the plush overseas gigs started to creep back in. And waiting to see who is picked for the much coveted Olympic Games coverage has everyone on edge.

And now comes news of a first casualty.

Emily Angwin has quit 7 News. Picture: Stephen Harman

Seven’s one time flavour-of-the-month, TV presenter Emily Angwin has called it quits.

The long-time Seven staffer will leave the network after eight years to cover her “dream job” as an international anchor in Beijing, China, to read the news for English speaking network Chinese Global Television Network.

Some say Angwin, who has been working at Seven News Melbourne since 2011, was irked at not being promoted to news anchor in a prime time spot.

A Channel 7 insider said Angwin felt she had earned her stripes after filling in for Seven News Melbourne anchor Jacqui Felgate while Felgate was on maternity leave.

Playing fill-in weather girl to Jane Bunn didn’t sit too well either.

Emily Angwin filled in on the weather. Picture: Instagram

Jacqui Felgate was on maternity leave. Picture: Kris Reichl

No shrinking violet, Angwin was happy to voice her opinion and let her ambitions be known. All power to her.

It was Angwin who fired back an email last year after the aforementioned Scrivens penned another email to reporters criticising them for not getting along with each other.

“My mind is blown by the apathy coming from so many journalists,” Scrivens wrote.

“I just cannot believe the negative attitude so many of you have.

“Obviously few of you actually want to get anywhere in the game?”.

This email was titled “The Late News”.

Angwin fired back with a doozy.

“I find your email incredibly inappropriate,” Angwin wrote.

“You demanding journalists work beyond what are ‘reasonable’ hours for no extra money.

“We have families, partners, children, pets. No one is afraid to work hard here, but to take away our evenings with our loved ones, without even a discussion with us, is upsetting.

“We all know network opportunities aren’t based on hard work, they’re based on favouritism.

“We have a hard working, talented group of staff at 7 who are feeling increasingly devalued. I don’t think that’s how to get the best out of a team.”

Fighting words.

Someone close to the action says Angwin has been unfairly maligned by some of the senior female executives. They added it was good she was off to spread her wings and that she would always be welcomed back to the Seven fold.

Emily Angwin says working overseas is one her bucket list career moves.

Others say executives said Angwin was not a team player, referencing an inter-office IVO issued by HR.

Two female reporters were told to keep their distance from each other while working. So toxic was the relationship, one insider suggested a 10m exclusion zone.

What from Angwin herself?

Angwin told Page 13 one of her bucket list career moves was going to an overseas posting.

After being headhunted by a global recruitment company who came knocking about the international anchor role in Beijing, Angwin said it was an offer too good to refuse.

“I finish up in four weeks and I’m pretty pumped I’ll be in China in six weeks,” Angwin said.

“I’ve been wanting to go overseas for so long and I’m super excited and super nervous. But if you are not a little bit scared, you are not really living life.

“It’s the end of an era. I’ve loved Seven and Shaun is such a great news director, but for me personally I have wanted to go overseas and it was one thing on the bucket list I haven’t been able to tick off.

“I can’t speak a word of Mandarin which could be a little awkward.”

Asked about the crazy stories coming out of the Seven newsroom, Angwin laughed and said she wouldn’t change a thing, adding any perceived “newsroom drama” had nothing to do with her leaving the Seven network.

“I ran my own race,” she said.

“But I’ve learnt a lot over the last eight years and wouldn’t change anything for the world.”

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Borce Ristevski was famously asked if he killed his wife. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Before Page 13 is accused of being “sexist” and pitting girls against each other, we hear it’s not just the females who are locking horns.

Crime reporter Cameron Baud’s nose is reportedly out of joint after the “Mokbel report” was dropped by the government to rival Seven reporter Brendan Donoghue this week.

Baud, who is known in media circles as “The Harvester of Sorrow,” is perhaps most well-known for asking Boris Ristevksi at a press conference if he killed his wife.

Baud ended up being right.