Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has encouraged all media outlets to “do better” in their management of internal complaints, after allegations surfaced that former Nine Network news boss Darren Wick had acted inappropriately towards a female staff member.
Mr Wick, Channel Nine’s recently departed head of news and current affairs, quit the network on March 15 after a formal complaint was made against him by a female colleague.
Responding to the allegations on Sunday, Ms Rowland said all media companies needed to adhere to internal policies when handling allegations of poor workplace behaviour.
“The media sector has been highlighted in recent years as an area that needs improvement, I say that as someone where I work in a profession where standards need to be lifted as well,” Ms Rowland told Sky News.
“That it is incumbent on all institutions, on all companies, including the one in question, to do better — to be transparent in the way that it conducts its investigations.
“We want good people to be entering the sector to be supporting the fourth estate which is an important pillar of our democracy and I would hope that the appropriate processes are a key in this case.”
Nine Entertainment chief executive Mike Sneesby, who cut short a holiday in the United States to deal with the matter, has since urged Nine employees with any complaints regarding inappropriate behaviour to come forward.
“Many of you will have seen external media over the last few days that draws attention to our internal processes and policies regarding complaints about conduct in the workplace,” Mr Sneesby wrote in an internal email.
“It is important for everyone at Nine to know that we don’t tolerate inappropriate behaviour in the workplace and want to know if there is inappropriate behaviour occurring, so that it can be addressed promptly.”
In an interview on Sky News this week, an unnamed on-air personality at Nine alleged that Mr Wick had sexually harassed her at the Logie Awards.
“On the dance floor at the Gold Coast Logies afterparty he was gropey, he had his hands everywhere, breathing heavily in my ear, I had to peel him off me,” she said.
“Any other man I might have kicked or pushed, but he was my boss.”
Mr Wick had worked at the network for more than 25 years.