AUCKLAND, Friday: A terse telephone and email exchange exploded last week between Comms Council chief Paul Head and M+AD ed David Gapes – in which Head said he might “blacklist” the news site unless Gapes apologises for what Head perceived as “threats” to himself and two junior staff.
The exchange followed M+AD’s attempts to pin down the whereabouts of Sandy Smith, the woman in whose name MediaWorks pays $10,000 each year for its Unsung Hero Award at Axis. (MediaWorks trade marketing manager Cathy Fali has since informed us that Sandy Smith passed away in July 2010.)
Gapes said he had long believed he had a good – if robust – rapport with all Comms Council staffers junior and senior. Clearly, he was deluding himself, and has agreed immediately to Head’s demand.
Here’s Head’s message in full …
David: Further to our conversation on Thursday 14 March regarding Sandy Smith and the date of her death, I have taken time to reflect carefully on the content and tone of your conversations with me and two of my team members.
I have spoken to both of the team members involved and both felt threatened by you. I have asked them to diary note their conversations with you and I have reviewed those notes and it is clear that threats were made.
You made similar threats to me, threatening to publish an unfavourable opinion of the Comms Council if we couldn’t provide the information you needed, which we didn’t actually know or have access to.
Whilst you’re free to publish what you like (within the law) making threats of this nature to junior staff members meets any definition of bullying.
I note that you have admitted to me via email that you did make threats. You also state in that email that you regret doing so. Again, on reflection and after talking to my team, I don’t believe that is an adequate response.
As a responsible employer, creating a safe working environment that is free from bulling is of paramount importance to this organisation and to me personally. As a consequence of your behaviour, my team no longer feel safe dealing with you, a situation I am not prepared to allow to continue.
Therefore, I require you to provide a formal written apology that includes a commitment that you will treat the Comms Council team with appropriate respect in future.
Should you not feel inclined to do this, I will have no choice but to effectively blacklist you and your publication from all Comms Council events and communications in an effort to protect my team. For the sake of clarity, this means you will not receive press releases, any communications or be invited to attend or cover any events, nor receive any comment from this organisation.
You may feel that my position constitutes a “threat” of its own. That is not the case. It is a considered response designed to protect my team from any further bullying, which in 2019 is not acceptable in any environment. The safety of my team is paramount.
And here’s the response Gapes emailed to Head this morning …
Thanks, Paul. I have always seen our discussions as “robust” – and believed I had a good relationship with all of you.
But the moment I opened my big mouth on Friday with that “if you don’t” crap, I knew I had blown it.
So I have no problem accepting your request for an apology – and promise to behave much more civilly from now.
M+AD will be publishing your complaint – and this response – in full today.
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