ABC Four Corners portrays Seven Network as ‘toxic’ where staff are afraid to speak up

The national broadcaster says Seven Network staff are too afraid to speak up about workplace incidents and are being gagged from doing so as its CEO says the allegations are ‘historical’.

ABC’s Four Corners has portrayed the Seven Network as having a toxic culture and attempting to cover up allegations of sexism, exploitation and extreme bullying.

ABC’s Four Corners claims employees of the Seven Network are afraid to speak up and are being gagged from doing so as the media organisation faces allegations of sexism, exploitation and extreme bullying.

The investigation by former Seven Network employee turned ABC investigative journalist, Louise Milligan, says the Kerry Stokes controlled network has a toxic culture and has instilled fear into journalists who are afraid to speak up.

The report did not feature Amber Harrison, the former lover of ex-Seven West Media boss Tim Worner, who was featured in a promo last week which was subsequently removed after Seven engaged Herbert Smith Freehills in recent days.

The Australian’s Media Diary reported on Monday that the top law firm issued a stern legal letter to the ABC reminding it to be extremely careful before airing the program, given that at least one of the interview subjects featured in the promo is already subject to strict gag orders.

Ms Harrison left the business a decade ago after signing legal documents agreeing not to speak publicly about the media company or her relationship with Worner.

The multi-month Four Corners investigation into the national broadcaster’s competitor spoke to more than 200 people, which Ms Milligan said were a mix of present and former employees, including many that ended up in hospital, unable to work and or became suicidal.

“There are so many terrible stories we know about at Seven, but we can’t tell them ...,” Ms Milligan said in the episode.

ABC journalist Louise Milligan. Source: Instagram.

“We tried to speak to former Seven staff who had made complaints, including being terminated while on maternity leave, bullying and sexual harassment, and some who had just been let go in sudden redundancies only to discover that Seven had signed them up to agreements that gagged them forever.”

In a pre-emptive strike before the Four Corners expose into the culture at Seven titled “Don’t speak”, newly installed chief executive Jeff Howard sent an email to all staff promising he was committed to “building a better media company”.

“We know they have been working on a story about Seven West Media for a while now. Some of you may have even been approached to participate; unfortunately, it looks like a few may have taken up the offer,” Mr Howard’s email said.

The email went on to say that many matters were “historical” and had been “well ventilated”.

Seven has been accused of using non -disclosure agreements (NDAs) as a means to protect its brand and to suppress incidents within the workplace. When she was a young cadet journalist Amy Taeuber from Adelaide was barred from speaking out after being sexually harassed in the newsroom.

“It’s frustrating. It’s not a nice feeling,” she told Ms Milligan. “It is a little bit odd that the media is about exposing injustices and telling people’s stories, not shying away from it. But I suppose if you look at it, NDAs are there to stop people from exposing injustices.”

Taylor Auerbach leaving the Federal Court in April. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

A former Seven HR worker at the organisation who did not want to be named in the investigation said it was a tool that Seven used against “innocent staff” and a gross misuse of internal policies that are intended to be there for ethical reasons.

Former Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn emphatically rejected claims of bullying and anti-Semitism made by former staffer and friend Taylor Auerbach in the program.

The ABC alleges Mr Llewellyn called Mr Auerbach, who is Jewish, “Ann Frankenstein” in anti-Semitic text messages and said “the character in a play we’ve written” wanted to bash his head in with a cricket bat.

“A narrative has been created that is simply untrue,” Mr Llewellyn said in a statement released to The Australian. “That narrative has now been accepted by many as fact.” Mr Llewellyn said messages given to Four Corners had been selectively chosen and were part of a mutual joke Mr Auerbach had instigated.

Former Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn. Source: Instagram.

Mr Auberach who admitted to putting $10,000 worth of Thai massages for Bruce Lehrmann did not take part in the report. Former Seven Sydney reporter, Robert Ovadia, who was dismissed in June for apparent misconduct was alleged by Four Corners to have sent a picture of a young woman in the newsroom, depicting her as a pole dancer in a catsuit brandishing a whip in a cartoon avatar. In other texted cartoon avatars, Mr Ovadia is a scantily clad warrior and the superhero Thor.

Mr Ovadia in June said that no former current or employee had made a compliant about him and is suing Seven for unfair dismissal. Mr Ovadia, through his lawyers told Four Corners that “he has not engaged in misconduct, or inappropriate conduct, or conduct that was unwelcome and unsolicited justifying summary termination of his employment, or otherwise.”

Four Corners also reported on a young woman in Seven’s Brisbane newsroom who says she began to suffer from crippling anxiety after working extremely long hours and being constantly rostered on weekends for a base salary just above the minimum wage. She decided to resign but was told that the company would not allow it.

Former Seven journalist Amy Taeuber

In a text message sent to Ms Milligan, she said the only way “Is I felt like I had a noose around my neck. I felt like I was in a domestic-violence relationship.”

The woman told Four Corners that on March 8 she ran in front of a car outside the Brisbane newsroom attempting to get hit, and then after the car avoided her, she proceeded to find another.

Ms Milligan was employed by Seven for eight years between 2004 and 2012, serving in various roles across its news division including NSW political reporter and investigative reporter.