Nine’s newspaper journalists demand answers following Hugh Marks-hosted Liberal fundraiser
Nine’s newspaper journalists have turned to the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) to voice their concerns over a Liberal fundraiser hosted by Nine CEO Hugh Marks at the media company’s Willoughby offices.
Attention was first drawn to the event by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review (AFR) yesterday afternoon, in stories posted to their respective digital platforms.
Marks has been a strong advocate for press freedom
According to the reports, the event had a ticket price of $10,000-a-head and would be attended by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, communications minister Paul Fletcher, education minister Dan Tehan, trade minister Simon Birmingham, government services minister Stuart Robert, and assistant financial services minister Jane Hume.
In an open letter written to Marks and managing director of publishing Chris Janz, the house committees of Nine’s three major metro daily mastheads, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and the AFR, drew attention to their Fairfax roots and questioned why the event was held without staff being informed.
The letter read:
“Dear Hugh and Chris
Reports in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the AFR yesterday about Nine hosting a Liberal Party fundraiser at our Willoughby offices have raised the question of where the Nine newspapers’ political loyalties lie.
The former Fairfax mastheads have a long history of political independence. If this has changed and we are now associated with the Liberal Party, this should be conveyed to staff. A decision to host fundraisers for Labor or other political parties would be of equal concern.
We strongly object to our reputation for independent journalism being compromised by the hosting of party political fundraisers. This can only serve to make the job of working journalists more difficult.
Our mastheads have done much to expose the corrupting influence of money on politics. It is vitally important that we remain independent of the political process.
On behalf of the house committees of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.”
Marks has been an outspoken champion of press freedom in recent months, following the raids on the home of News Corp’s Annika Smethurst and the ABC headquarters in Sydney. He spoke at a National Press Club event in June, giving a speech which compared the current state of freedom in the Australian media industry to a boiled frog – at the mercy of laws which have crept in overtime and not been challenged. At that event he said the media needs to show a united front to demand change from the government.
Speaking to Mumbrella recently after Nine posted its fiscal year results, Marks said the recent furore around Alan Jones was a reflection that people in prominent media positions need to be at the ‘top of their game’ because the demands on them are heightened.
“It’s part of our industry and the demands on us, or the demands on our people, to always be at the best of their game are heightened. When we fall down then we certainly suffer the consequences. It’s just a reminder to all of our people that we need to be on our game and we need to be at our very best,” said Marks.
A spokesperson for Nine said the event had been a chance for the media company to present its case to the Liberal Party.
“Nine management and board have been clear and strong in the support of the Charter of Editorial Independence. Editorial impartiality is also integral to the operations of our regulated television business,” said the spokesperson.
“We participate actively in our democracy and speak to all parties to press our case around regulation and other political issues that concern our business and the ability of our people to perform their role. We took the opportunity last night to present our case to the Liberal Party at their business forum and today to the Labor Party at their event and dinner with their leader.”
Explains why 9 news reports have gone soft on the deplorable Donald Trump. Is 9 the new Fox? If all mainstream news becomes contaminated by right wing ideology, the truth is in big trouble in this country.
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These so-called “journalists” are employees pure and simple. If the checkout chicks at Woolies objected to something their management did, would it raise a murmur? No difference.
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ex ABC – I think you’re missing a vital point about the product that these journalists are working for and need to sell. They are not simply selling any old product like a check out chick (how about a check out guy?). They are selling believeability, trust, credibility, “truth”, transparency etc.
Whether they achieve that goal is another matter, but they need to try to retain their brand consistency. Otherwise what have they got?. As a comparison, Fox don’t even bother to try to sell a non-partisan product, you pay for a certain bias, Fairfax not so.
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Big difference – these journalists have a platform to make others aware. And that they do gives them credibility. They want others to see it happening and take a stand against management – otherwise they will become the same as the checkout chick.
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If Woolies engaged in activities that were harmful or deleterious, impacted their professional reputations, or called into question their fairness, then operators (‘checkout chicks’ … really?) would be well within their rights to be vocal.
The fact is that Nine management has breached its own Code of Conduct and so must be held to account.
That you don’t realise this fundamental difference between the jobs is itself perhaps a hallmark of how far media has fallen.
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Wow – rich dude hosts party for rich friends.
Next in news, the Earth revolves around the Sun.
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It would if Woolies were asking them to do something that represented a risk to the brand’s reputation and their future careers yes. Whilst all journalists will have their own views their role is to hold powerful voices to account. There is clear evidence of the malign role where the line is blurred. This is an error of judgment – not because it is the Liberal Party but because it is a fundraising event political party. There are other ways to put the case to government and I am sure a powerful media outlet does not lack these. look forward to hearing that the concerns of the journalists are recognised and the error acknowledged.
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Independant. Always.
Maybe.
Sometimes.
Occasionally,
When we feel like it.
Whatevs
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As always when looking at powerful people in both politics and media, you should judge them by what they do, not what they say.
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LOL….Fairfax’s publications have had a left wing bias for many years and nobody on the journo side of things have batted an eyelid.
The hypocrisy is scary.
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To digress…the term ‘checkout chick’ may have been okay to use when you were young, but now, it’s offensive and derogatory. It also implies that people in lower income employment don’t have a voice and should just put up and shut up and take their minimum wage…which is also what you’re suggesting journalists do.
This combined with your endorsement of a news channel hosting a political fundraiser….
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On the money.
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I can see why you are ex ABC
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The fact that this story was broken and approved in SMH’s CBD column and AFR’s back page shows they are still independent – of both management and politicians. That’s what matters. Fact that the corproate arm is donating is irrelevant UNLESS they actually pull punches.
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Does anyone know who left this Aldi bag behind? Must be quite a few gorillas in there.
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Excuse me, but I think your bias is showing?
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Gill, Buchanan, Hugh Marks, Healy – call the Fairfax journos ‘content creators’.
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Unfortunately for conservatives, reality has a left wing bias. Which is to say, when a truth is reported, conservatives are more likely to see a bias in it.
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Reality has a left wing bias ? Where did that come from ? Oh I know an unbiased left winger.
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