Nine concedes hosting Liberal Party fundraiser was a ‘mistake’

Nine CEO Hugh Marks admits Liberal fundraising evening “could have been handled better”.

Nine Entertainment CEO Hugh Marks. Picture: AAP

The group executive editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has told staff at the papers that Nine CEO Hugh Marks has admitted hosting a Liberal fundraising evening was a “mistake”.

In an email to staff this afternoon James Chessell, who is group executive editor of the SMH, The Age and The Brisbane Times, said he raised specific concerns with Nine Entertainment CEO Hugh Marks about the $10,000-a-head Liberal fundraiser which took place at Nine’s Willoughby Park studio on Monday night and raised $700,000.

Mr Chessell said Mr Marks told him it was a “mistake” to host the function and “could have been handled better.”

“I raised my concerns with Nine chief executive Hugh Marks yesterday morning. He has responded by telling me it was a mistake to host the function Hugh made the point Nine’s primary motivation was to engage with the government on issues of importance to the newsrooms — such as press freedom and the ACCC’s inquiry into digital platforms — which is a valid argument for management to make. But he agrees it could have been handled better.

Mr Chessell also told staff that “perception matters” and the “Monday function was regrettable.”

“Perception does matter, particularly when it comes to our relationship with subscribers, contacts and others who rely on our journalism. In this sense the Monday function was regrettable,” he wrote.

“I note the House Committee’s statement from yesterday which reflects the views of many staff worried the event could temporarily tarnish our reputation for independence. We have already seen rival outlets attempt to capitalise on the story even when they have no evidence to support their allegations.”

The hosting of the function has been attacked by current and former staff and the media union.

Peter Fray, former SMH Editor-in-Chief and publisher, former deputy editor of The Australian and Chair of Journalism at UTS said he was surprised by the decision, and was symptomatic of a “new culture” of Nine newspapers.

“Journalists have a right and obligation to express their concerns, but they have to understand they are now part of a large company with a different corporate identity and different culture.

“It’s encouraging that it was broken in the Fin and it’s encouraging Hugh Marks has signed up to independence charter, but it is a different company now with a different character.”

A former senior Fairfax executive told The Australian he was mystified by the decision calling it “not the done thing” and “dumb”.

“It’s all right for a company that runs Married At First Sight to run one of these fundraisers but not one that now owns the platforms of the AFR, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age,” he said.

While Fairfax would previously host lunches and dinners for members of government and opposition, they would never go so far as to host a fundraiser in the past.

“We never would’ve thought twice about doing something like this. We had to be meticulous about fairness for these mastheads,” the former executive said.