Australian Financial Times journalist Mark Di Stefano resigns amid Zoom scandal

Australian reporter Mark Di Stefano, accused of listening to ‘confidential video calls’, has resigned from The Financial Times.

Mark Di Stefano. Source: Twitter/@MarkDiStef

Mark Di Stefano, an Australian journalist at the centre of a Zoom media scandal in the UK, has resigned from The Financial Times.

The Independent newspaper alleged that Di Stefano listened to “confidential and sensitive video calls” at The Independent and The Evening Standard as newspaper staff were told about salary cuts and temporary leave by editors and senior managers as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Di Stefano was reportedly suspended by the FT, which is owned by Japan’s Nikkei Inc., pending an investigation, according to The Independent’s story on its website on Tuesday.

In a brief Twitter post, Di Stefano announced that he had finished up at the business newspaper on Friday.

“Hi, letting everyone know today was my last day at the FT. This afternoon I offered my resignation.” He also thanked everyone, who had given their support.

“I’m now going to take some time away and log off x.”

Hi, letting everyone know today was my last day at the FT. This afternoon I offered my resignation. Thank you everyone who has given support. I’m now going to take some time away and log off x

— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) May 1, 2020

The FT has issued a statement on its website, saying last week it received a complaint from The Independent that a reporter had “joined a staff conference call without authorisation”.

“Access details had been shared with him. The journalist in question has now resigned from the company. The FT wishes to apologise to The Independent and the Evening Standard, which subsequently informed the FT that the same reporter had accessed a meeting it held.”

Di Stefano declined to comment on his resignation, instead referred The Australian to the FT’s statement.

Di Stefano’s post has been liked by 2,800 people and retweeted by more than 200 people by Saturday midmorning. More than 800 people have commented on his departure, including journalists.

Guardian columnist Owen Jones tweeted: “best of luck, Mark”

Arvind Hickman, news editor of PRWeek in the UK, said: “You’ve done some great work there mate. Best of luck in your next chapter.”

Ed Brewster, communications director at Chinese technology giant Huawei in the UK, said: “Sorry to hear that. Enjoy the log off”.

Others on Twitter were more scathing, given the allegations by The Independent.

Di Stefano started working at the FT as its media and technology reporter in January after five-and-a-half years at digital news outlet BuzzFeed in the UK and Australia. Prior to that, he worked at the ABC for four years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The Independent’s report quoted its editor, Christian Broughton, saying: “We respect freedom of speech and understand the challenges of newsgathering, but The Independent considers the presence of a third-party journalist in a staff briefing to be entirely inappropriate and an unwarranted intrusion into our employees’ privacy. Our spokesperson had a full statement prepared for the press — any interested reporters only needed to call and ask.”

Following the publication of the story, a spokeswoman for The Independent referred The Australian to its report online.

“We will not be commenting further at this time.”

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