Damning report on toxic culture at Nine finds ‘systemic’ abuse of power, bullying and sexual harassment

TV bosses at Nine Entertainment bullied, harassed and belittled staff as part of a toxic culture that “normalised” and ignored inappropriate workplace behaviour and objectified female journalists, according to a bombshell cultural report.

The independent review found the Channel 9 owner has “a systemic issue” with abuse of power, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment, and that management failed in its responsibilities to protect staff who were sometimes driven to the point of self-harm.

It was backed by harrowing testimony from past and present staff, many of them women, who spoke of their despair, fear and horror about abhorrent workplace misconduct that has gone unchecked.

“Today is an incredibly difficult day for Nine as we confront these findings and reflect on serious cultural issues as an organisation,” Nine chair Catherine West said.

“We acknowledge that too many of our past and present employees have been harmed by poor workplace culture, the prevalence of inappropriate workplace behaviours, and an inadequate response in the past from Nine to those behaviours,” she said.

Nine has vowed to implement all 22 of the landmark report’s recommendations, including overhauling its HR department, reviewing its code of conduct and appointing external parties to investigate workplace complaints. Staff distressed by the “sobering” report have been offered counselling.

Commissioned by former chief executive Mike Sneesby in May, the review by consultantancy Intersection involved a company-wide survey and 122 interviews with current and former TV staff, including 87 women.

“The report found that Nine has a systemic issue with abuse of power and authority; bullying, discrimination and harassment; and sexual harassment,” Nine said.

“Driving these behaviours is a lack of leadership accountability; power imbalances; gender inequality and a lack of diversity; and significant distrust in leaders at all levels of the business.”

While Intersection found the misbehaviour extended into Nine’s publishing and radio arm, which include the Australian Financial Review newspaper and Perth’s 6PR radio station, the broadcasting business was the biggest problem spot.

Some 62 per cent of broadcast employees reported experiencing or witnessing abuse of power, 57 per cent experiencing bullying, discrimination or harassment, and 30 per cent experiencing sexual harassment.

Intersection found the TV arm was littered with management failures, with senior leaders - both men and women - publicly humiliating underlings, sharing confidential information about staff with other employees, promoting or appointing employees based on their status or relationships and covering up inappropriate workplace behaviour.

One anonymous complainant quoted in the report said: “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?”

“I have endured thousands of microaggressions over time. It is death by a thousand cuts ... there was a point when I wanted to kill myself,” another participant said.

Employees said the bullying was targeted and relentless. “They intentionally and repeatedly belittle individuals, who are always below (them) in the workplace structure, until they can’t take it anymore,” one worker said.

Staff spoke about a sexualised workplace that was “misogynistic”, a “boys’ club” and “hostile to women” where profanity and sexualised and inappropriate comments were common.

One female journalist recalled a work function where a fellow employee “was standing in a circle with myself, my boyfriend at the time … and a few other newsroom colleagues”.

“There were a few harmless jokes about the relationship before (the individual) said to my partner: ‘You can f..k her in my office if you want ... just tell me when you’ve done it’.

“I don’t need to comment on how disgusting this is.”

Victims of sexual harassment said the behaviour left them “confused, exhausted, unable to concentrate” and that they were passed over for advancement when they rejected approaches from bosses.

“I left the newsroom to get away from the sexual harassment,” one complainant said of an unnamed offender. “I’ve lost count of the fabulous women who have gone by the wayside because of him … I’ve seen women’s careers destroyed.”

According to the report, employees feared being ostracised, victimised or demoted if they took their complaints to their managers or Nine’s HR department.

‘If you reported anything you would be punished, ignored, or called ‘negative’,” one interviewed worker said. “You would be assigned stories where you would be set up to fail. You would be denied opportunities.”

“I’ve never, and would never, report any concerns I had about inappropriate behaviour to HR,” another said. “I have no trust in them, and believe I’d be managed out if I did make a report. And that’d be my advice to anyone who comes to me – do not take any concerns to HR.”

Acting chief executive Matt Stanton told Nine’s 5000 staff of the report’s findings in a nationwide briefing on Thursday, promising to make the company’s offices safer. However, employees have demanded action against those behind the bullying and harassment.

Mr Sneesby commissioned the report after the airing of complaints over Nine’s handling of historical harassment complaints against former TV news and current affairs chief Darren Wick.

Mr Wick stepped down in March with a payout, but allegations of inappropriate behaviour targeting female staff at functions later emerged. He has denied any wrongdoing.

To compound its tough year, Nine chairman Peter Costello also quit abruptly in June, just days after an ugly altercation with a journalist at Canberra Airport. Video taken by the journalist appeared to show him being shouldered by Mr Costello while asking him questions about the sexual harassment and bullying scandals.

Mr Sneesby also attracted criticism for taking part in the Olympic Games torch relay in France hours after journalists in his newspaper division voted in favour of a five-day strike over pay and conditions.

He later said he was honouring a commitment to the International Olympic Committee and representing thousands of staff across Nine who had helped organise its Olympics coverage. It “was certainly the right thing to do”, he said.