Nine news boss Fiona Dear sent an after-hours email to staff and said: “I know you’re hurting” after company’s review handed down

The head of Nine’s news and current affairs division has sent an after-hours email acknowledging the pain employees are suffering following reports of bullying, sexual harassment and misconduct.

Nine news boss Fiona Dear sent an after-hours email to staff and said: “I know you’re hurting” after company’s review handed down.

Nine Entertainment’s television news and current affairs boss Fiona Dear has told staff in an after hours email that she knows employees are “hurting” following the scathing findings of the independent review into the company’s workplace culture.

Dear, who took over from former news boss Darren Wick in May, sent the email at 8.29pm AEDT on Monday. In the three days prior, The Australian had repeatedly asked her – with no response – as to why she had failed to address the news division about the report’s devastating findings, nor sought to discuss ongoing concerns with her staff.

The independent review was originally set up to focus on Nine’s news and current affairs division but was later expanded to include the entire company and found there was widespread misconduct.

Multiple insiders from Nine’s newsrooms across the country said there has been “terrible leadership skills” by the company’s managers while others reported feeling “betrayed” because they claim they were told that names of alleged offenders would be passed on to the Nine board.

But when the report by consultancy firm Intersection was handed down last Thursday, it emerged that no alleged offenders were identified to the board, heightening fears among staff that transgressors wouldn’t face any sanctions.

Nine’s acting chief executive officer Matt Stanton said on Monday “active investigations” were underway involving inappropriate conduct at the media company.

Nine Entertainment acting chief executive officer Matt Stanton. Source: Channel 9.

Dear is yet to schedule an all-staff meeting to discuss the findings of the independent report compiled by workplace consulting firm Intersection.

She told Nine’s broadcast division on Monday night: “I wanted to say how proud I have been at the professionalism you’ve all displayed in the telling of this incredibly painful story last week and how you’ve handled yourselves since the release of the report.

“You have continued to deliver high-quality journalism despite what we are going through as a team and a broader business.”

Other insiders said it was noticed that the after-hours email had similarities in terms of the timing of Wick’s resignation note, which was sent at 7.36pm on a Friday in March – well after close of business.

Former Nine Entertainment news boss Darren Wick.

The Australian later revealed he actually left the media company after a female staff member complained about his allegedly inappropriate conduct.

Despite the reason for his exit, Nine’s director of television Michael Healy said Wick had “enormous impact” during his 29 years at Nine and told employees: “I personally want to thank Wickie for his commitment to the Nine News brand and wish him well.”

Nine’s publishing boss Tory Maguire, who is in charge of mastheads including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review, sent an email to staff on Monday afternoon, saying “the headline findings in the report are distressing to read.”

“Nine’s leaders are working through what needs to be done to embed the changes required to ensure everyone at Nine is guaranteed a safe, respectful and positive work environment,” she said.

“The first step was an unequivocal apology from our chair Catherine West on behalf of the board, acknowledging the prevalence of inappropriate workplace behaviours, the harm to our people and the inadequate response in the past from Nine to those behaviours.”

Nine Radio’s managing director Tom Malone, who oversees stations including 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR, held a meeting with staff on Tuesday.

Insiders told The Australian that names of staff accused of bullying were named on an open chat thread.

Malone said in an email last week: “Nine’s culture was tough to take in, and many of you might be feeling unsettled or upset. It was a challenging read for all of us.

“There’s absolutely zero room for poor behaviour, and it’s important that everyone feels supported in speaking up whenever necessary.” 

Originally published as Nine news boss Fiona Dear sent an after-hours email to staff and said: “I know you’re hurting” after company’s review handed down