SMH journalist says paper was pressured not to write about behaviour of David Jones boss
The Sydney Morning Herald was put under commercial pressure by major advertiser David Jones not to write about the behaviour of its CEO Mark McInnes, business columnist Ian Verrender has revealed.
Verrender revealed that journalists had previously been aware McInnes had “a propensity to push the boundaries of personal behaviour right to the edge”. This afternoon Verrender revealed:
“Several years ago, as business editor at The Sydney Morning Herald, I was informed McInnes was unhappy about certain, rather tame, items that had appeared in the CBD column regarding his personal life. While there was never any direct threat, the implication was clear: David Jones was a major advertiser and the Herald couldn’t afford to lose the business.”
Nielsen estimates that David Jones spends more than $40m a year on advertising, including a significant percentage on Fairfax’s print titles such as the SMH and The Age.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Sensationalist.
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The guy made an inappropriate advance to a female employee. He informed the Chairman and tendered his own resignation. The female employee is entitled to her privacy and all the protection the law can afford her. But, everyone should calm down a bit – he did the wrong thing – but he’s not a bloody rapist. Save the sensationalism for Tiger Woods.
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Dear Bex,
You’ve completely missed the point of this article. It’s not about McInnes and the girl, it’s about DJs as a corporation allegedly using a completely unethical way of dealing with the issue.
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Yes, I bet Scott McCaffrey has been on the phone to media houses threatening to pull ads
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