Walkleys board members resign amid tensions between union and awards foundation

The Guardian

14-03-2025

Half the Walkley Foundation board members have resigned amid a spectacular falling out between the media union and the annual journalism awards, the Walkleys.
The three Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance board directors – Karen Percy, Erin Delahunty and Kate Ferguson – have also resigned their elected positions in the union, as president and vice-presidents respectively.
Percy announced her resignation as MEAA Media federal president on Tuesday, saying the time was right to take up other opportunities. There was no hint of the tension behind the scenes.
On Friday Weekly Beast asked Percy about the dispute but she declined to comment.
According to confidential documents seen by Weekly Beast, there has been tension simmering for more than a year about a proposal to amend the foundation's constitution to require that a majority of the board be independent and not union officials.
The Walkley Foundation chief executive, Shona Martyn, confirmed that Percy and Delahunty had resigned but said the MEAA had not informed her about Ferguson.
'Under the constitution of the Walkley Foundation, upon the resignation from their positions at MEAA, Karen and Erin cease to be eligible to hold office as members and directors of the Walkley Foundation,' Martyn said.
Ferguson told Weekly Beast she was finishing up on Friday.
'It was an extremely tough and sad decision as I have worked so hard with MEAA to serve members for the past five years,' she said. 'I have also appreciated and enjoyed my time working on the Walkley Board.'
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The MEAA's national media section has been concerned about a lack of communication between the foundation and the union, which have joint responsibility for the awards.
The Walkley Foundation directors Adele Ferguson, Victoria Laurie and Sally Neighbour wrote to the MEAA pushing for urgent change but were rebuffed.
'We believe it is time to move forward on uplifting our governance as we enter a landmark 70th awards year, when the Walkleys will be under intense media and public scrutiny, and we will continue to face a complex set of challenges,' they wrote.
'Failure to do so we believe exposes the Walkleys to the risk of catastrophic reputational damage and would be contrary to our overriding duty to protect and preserve the Foundation's prized reputation.'
Crisis meetings failed to resolve the issues and led to the mass resignations.
Sources said among the issues causing friction were the now-cancelled sponsorship of the awards by Ampol and the controversy when the Walkleys funded an AI project for Cosmos science magazine, potentially undermining journalism jobs.
Nine Entertainment formally appointed Matt Stanton as chief executive this week, smack bang in the middle of a backlash from publishing front-page advertisements for Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots which its own journalists say are 'hateful and bigoted'.
The 55-year-old replaces Mike Sneesby, who resigned in September after months of pressure over allegations of a toxic culture.
We're sure Stanton can handle the heat generated by the Palmer ads. After all, he has been acting in the position for six months and he is well remunerated. His base salary is $1.6m and he may add up to $2.4m in Nine shares as short-term incentives and up to $2m a year in shares as long-term incentives, according to the ASX announcement.
The Trumpet of Patriots ads were placed across Nine platforms, as the company owns the free-to-air Nine Network, the streaming platform Stan as well as the radio stations 2GB and 3AW.
Staff allege that the ads don't meet advertising standards which say advertising should 'not portray people or depict material in a manner which discriminates against or vilifies a person or section of the community' on account of their gender or sexual preference.
To its credit, the Age published a selection of critical letters on Thursday.
'Regarding that hateful ad on The Age front page, this is my first letter to the editor in years and I'm disgusted it would be for this reason,' one reader wrote. 'Especially with an article right above it showing how damaging it is to some of our most vulnerable people – the transgender community.'
Meanwhile, Palmer was at the National Press Club on Thursday walking away from the ads' statement 'there are only two genders'. In between eating Tim Tams on the podium Palmer made light of the ads.
'I'll never say that there are only two genders again, that's my last time saying it,' he said during question time.
'There's either a man or a woman, and that's what I meant to say. In my all of my life, I've only ever experienced those two sexes.'
Stanton's confirmation came a few days after Sneesby's predecessor, Hugh Marks, walked into Ultimo promising nervous ABC staff 'there has never been a more exciting time to work in media'.
'I know change can be exhausting,' Marks said in his first all-staff email. 'Unfortunately, I can't promise that there won't be change. There likely will be.'
In what may have been a nod to the chaotic management processes uncovered in the Antoinette Lattouf court case, Marks promised 'clear and simple reporting lines with clear objectives and accountabilities'.
'This enables prompt decision making,' he said. 'Where everyone knows what's expected of them and what's expected of others. Whether you're in a content role, a platform role or a support role. Built around appropriate delegations of authority.'
Do we see another restructure on the horizon? Why not? David Anderson ordered one, as did Michelle Guthrie before him.
'We must not be afraid of failure as failure will sometimes be a consequence of our ambition,' Marks said. 'We should fear bland or mediocre. We should set high standards for our work and question those things that can't meet these standards. There may well be things we are doing that we will stop. Or do less of. If they can't justify their activity as a necessary priority in delivering to our shared purpose.'
Late last year we told you about the A Current Affair reporter Seb Costello and a Channel Nine camera operator who were suspended pending an investigation after following a man into a women's toilet with a camera.
Last Friday Costello, the son of the former Nine chair Peter Costello, resigned after 13 years with the network.
'After more than a decade at Nine, I have resigned from my role to seek a fresh challenge,' he told the Age. 'I would like to thank Nine and wish them all the best.'
Nine declined to comment on whether the review has been completed.
Ita Buttrose was named national patron of Women in Media in March 2023, and went on to give the keynote at its national conference in Sydney. Last year she headlined again, interviewing Justice Michael Lee on stage at the conference.
The former ABC chair was supposed to headline a fundraiser next week to 'support Women in Media Australia's work to increase gender equity … and build safer, more respectful workplace cultures'.
But organisers sent out an email this week saying 'unfortunately Ita is no longer able to participate in this event' and another speaker is being arranged.
Neither Buttrose nor WIM were saying why she pulled out, but Antoinette Lattouf, for one, was pleased.
'I look forward to seeing which speaker Women in Media chooses to highlight in support of its mission to foster safer, more respectful, and inclusive work practices,' she said.
Women in Media said: 'We were informed Ita Buttrose could no longer attend on Tuesday and respect that decision.'
And Buttrose said: 'We hope to reschedule later in the year.'