Nine investigates newsroom behaviour that ‘damaged trust and fairness’

Nine Entertainment has commissioned an independent review of its newsroom culture as staff anger escalates over the way management has dealt with allegations of lecherous behaviour and toxic leadership centred on former television news boss Darren Wick.

Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby addressed staff on Monday afternoon and sent an all-staff email which acknowledged the serious allegations against Wick. Those allegations involved inappropriately touching female staff at Nine functions such as Christmas parties and the Logies television awards.

He said the review would be handled by an external firm and would provide advice on how things could be done better in future.

Sneesby also said the “alleged serious failings of leadership in television news clearly tells me more work needs to be done to ensure we have a safe and inclusive workplace throughout Nine”.

He also said he was aware it had been a tough time for many staff and acknowledged the distress and frustration the media reports had caused. He said that Nine – the owner of this masthead – needed to do more to create a safe and inclusive culture.

Employees have alleged a toxic culture within the television newsroom itself,in which people were frozen out and picked on. The company has not addressed staff about the substance of the allegations against Wick since they were first aired by News Corp last Monday.

Last week,The Sydney Morning Herald andThe Age reported that three women alleged that Wick,the powerful news and current affairs chief for the past 13 years,brazenly groped them in public view of their colleagues.

Sneesby sent out a company-wide email on Monday afternoon saying he would commission an independent review of the “behaviours and concentration of power that has damaged the trust and fairness within our television newsrooms”.

When addressing staff,Sneesby took only one question from the floor,about whether the investigation would be run internally. He responded that it would involve “external partners”.

“I wasn’t going to jump into Q and A today,” he said.

Wick left Nine in March after the company received a formal complaint in January relating to a historical incident. It is understood only three executives were aware of the complaint,one of whom was Sneesby.

Sneesby told the company an external legal firm had investigated the complaint as soon as it was received. He also said he had never signed any non-disclosure agreements relating to a complaint – including against Wick. Sneesby became chief executive in April 2021.

He also said he had “never signed” non-disclosure agreements relating to a “complaint or behavioural issue” at Nine,including over Wick’s alleged behaviour. He did not say whether Nine had issued any NDAs signed by other executives.

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