Bullying in print journalism — the Leveson Inquiry

In 2012, the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics revealed a shocking catalogue of bullying and abuse in the newspaper industry. Twelve journalists gave evidence anonymously to the inquiry via interviews with Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary.

The first, with 30 years’ experience, described how “you do what you’re told when you’re told. People really need to understand what it was like. It takes a pretty brave person to take a stand ... If you want a career in the future, you shut up and you keep quiet.” As investigative reporter Nick Davies explained: “it’s not just a question of ’I’ll lose my job’. It’s nastier than that, and the fear is real”.

Another journalist described constant bullying, including sexually explicit bullying, while at The News of the World:

“My section editor would find fault with everything I did, making my life absolute hell. She sent emails behind my back, made comments about my weight, just nasty stuff really. It was the culture throughout the place. A woman reporter working for the news desk was sent sexually explicit text messages by someone senior to her. When she complained, she was just told not to make a fuss. The behaviour was all quite open, everyone joins in”.

Another explained how those who objected were routinely abused verbally and in public. Humiliation was the most minor punishment, but dismissal or relegation to the least favourable shifts was also common. “A deliberate climate of fear and tension was created by management to improve performance. The only unwritten rules for those subjected to it were: never complain publicly and never refuse an order”.

One journalist who spoke out against anti-Muslim stories was nicknamed “the token leftie” and as a “joke’, was deliberately targeted to write anti-Muslim stories.

The inquiry heard how many journalists are on casual contracts, meaning they can be “let go” any time, which provides “a powerful deterrent against sticking your head above the trench if you disagree with something that is occurring” (reporter). Another spoke of the huge number of new journalists working for free on internships: “It’s incredibly competitive to get a foot in the door, so once you’re there, you’re desperate not to blow it. I think that makes it even easier for editors to treat you like dirt. But I’ve seen people being treated much worse than me — literally reduced to tears — and in a way that makes me feel worse because I’ve not intervened to stop it”.

One bullied NUJ member was made to walk the streets dressed in a Lady Gaga meat dress. When proprietor Rupert Murdoch suggested that she could always have resigned, it was left to Lord Justice Leveson to point out that perhaps she needed the job.