‘It’s been horrific’: Nine staff detail their despair
The rotten secrets of Nine have been published in a report detailing what many in the media and entertainment industry were fearful of speaking about.
The rotten secrets of Nine have now been published in a report made public by the organisation, detailing what many in the media and entertainment industry already knew but most were fearful of speaking about.
Some of the cases detailed in the report include the targeting of young women, women rated on their ‘f. kability’, unwarranted touching, staff “iced out” and careers destroyed for speaking out, with others so traumatised they told the investigators they, or their colleagues, were suicidal.
Over the past five years, 52 per cent of Nine staff who gave evidence to the Intersection inquiry experienced or witnessed abuse of power or authority in the workplace, 49 per cent experienced bullying, discrimination or harassment and just under a quarter experienced sexual harassment.
The report, 82 pages in length, details allegations of bullying, sexual harassment, abuse of power, discrimination and cover-ups, with dozens of allegations detailing the horrific office culture.
The worst division was Broadcast, Nine’s television and radio arm, with 57 per cent of employees experiencing bullying, discrimination or harassment.
The report shows 62 per cent experienced abuse of power or authority in the past five years and 30 per cent experienced sexual harassment.
One person told the inquiry: “Have you even worked at Nine News … if (individual) hasn’t grabbed your ass?”
Another person claimed that one man had tried to “groom” them. “He also touched me on the bum at the Xmas party and at other times he would rub my legs under the table. In (location) I saw him do it to other women,” the person said.
Another detailed how female reporters felt they were there “just to look pretty” and that a “women’s right to report seems tied to appearance”.
“A woman presenter was told when she got pregnant: ‘why would you go and do that?’ What is more important – the news content or what I look like?!” the report states.
“I had been warned about him”, another woman said. “I was in my 20s … His comments about my body were constant … He made me feel like I was just a piece of meat to be ogled at. (My supervisor) said to me ‘don’t let him touch your boobs’. He mainly targeted young women.”
But senior women in newsrooms were also in the firing line.
“(There are) a number of concerning incidents of senior women bullying, discriminating against and harassing Broadcast employees,” the report reads.
“(She is a) toxic bully. I would cry in my car when I arrived at work because I knew I had to deal with her. She would set you up to look stupid. She would constantly undermine you … She had a real disregard for people’s wellbeing. She would say ‘A thousand people would kill for this job’,” one respondent said.
Instead of conducting welfare checks when predatory behaviour was observed, staff alleged that the focus was on the subsequent cover-up. “I thought she wanted to see if I was OK or if I wanted to do anything about it, but no. She was there to make sure that I didn’t say anything, that I didn’t complain. She made it very clear that it would not be in my best interests to make an issue out of it,” one said.
Another person said there was a “concerning culture” of “senior older men” making inappropriate jokes and sexual intimidation of young women.
In other allegations of abuse of power, respondents said women were “bullied into submission”.
“Women are constantly bullied into submission and to a point where we have no confidence or self-worth left,” one said. “If you challenge your male superior, they more often than not respond aggressively and it costs you professionally and financially.”
Another anecdote detailed how staff felt white-anted and publicly humiliated. “Every day I would wake up with this knot in my stomach thinking am I going to be screamed at, white-anted or publicly humiliated today, or is it someone else’s turn? Watching the humiliation happening to others was almost as bad as being the target, but … you were grateful it wasn’t you that day.”
Another staffer said Nine was run ‘like a boys club’.
“I was completely bullied out of my job and not allowed to speak about the incident. I lost my career and had no recourse. (Individual) doesn’t like being challenged by women,” another person said.
On Thursday, several staff told The Australian the release of the report had only served to increase anxiety within the company. One former staffer said they felt gutted that no individuals had been named or found responsible.
“Nothing came of it, there is no punishment,” they said.
Another complainant, who is still employed at Nine, said: “Everyone is really worried nothing will change and the anxiety has actually increased since this whole process began.
“I for one am just waiting for the day it all returns; the same old bullying. Recently old habits have definitely been creeping back in and there are already signs they’re back to breaking promises and whittling people down.
“While all this has been happening we’ve lost some really good people in news and current affairs and we’ll just lose more.
“It’s all so bad for journalism because the smart people will just have to leave.”
Enough words; action now vital
This is a mess for Nine. The workplace review ripped off the scab, but the bleeding remains.
‘No heads will roll; we are devastated’
Nine Entertainment’s past and present employees have spoken about their frustration at the handling of the company’s independent review and said ‘no heads will roll’.