Sexual Harassment Allegations in Australian Media

Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has just resigned, after a decade.

He started office in 2008, taking over from the popular John So.

Doyle was just re-elected a few months ago. He’s been hospitalised for “stress” and is expected to be a lengthy process. Telling but very sad.

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What does his resignation because of illness have to do with sexual harrassment in the media?

Wasn’t he under investigation for some allegations? Not media related however.

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Yes, emphatic sexual harassment allegations against him.

His stress and hospitalisation inextricably linked.

What is a more appropriate thread? Heavily covered by media and almost trial by media, as has been the way with most (by that I don’t mean they’re innocent, I mean it’s a bit over-the-top / perhaps witch-hunt like).

Ok, but as I’m someone not from Melbourne it might’ve been helpful to include some context with your post

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Spoken like someone who’s never been on the receiving end of unwanted sexual advances.
Imagine the stress and anxiety his accusers have gone through regardless of the outcome.
Heard a snippet of Neil Mitchell carrying on about how Ill Doyle is. Sickening stuff.

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Not exactly sad if the allegations turn out to be true.

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No, he deserves what’s coming if found true. As in sad that it’s occurred (as in he was a really good Lord Mayor, patriot and always doing pressers, charity work, promoting the city, etc).

I understand you and others might not know him well.

Don’t even. I clarified (in brackets) so I wouldn’t get comments like yours.

Just wanted to provide context and my reasoning (i.e. media) for the thread.

You said:
“I mean it’s a bit over-the-top / perhaps witch-hunt like”

If one often finds oneself taken out of context, one must learn how to contextualise one’s arguments better for next time. I stand by my previous post.

And () are parentheses not brackets which are .

I dont know if the allegations are true or not and will hold judgement until the outcome occurs. But often power, authoritive figures hide behind charity work etc. Doesn’t make them good. Look at Rolf Harris.

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talk about guilty before proven innocent?? should it be innocent till proven guilty?? or are you all that judgemental???

Did you not read what I said?

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Can you demonstrate where and when people in this thread were doing that? From what I’ve seen most have been very cautious.

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Happy for courts and investigators to provide that. In the meantime, if I see someone trotting out crap about trial by media and witch hunts I’ll call it out.

Similarly, the “African gangs” that supposedly stop me from going out to dinner. But that’s way off this topic.

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The now disgraced John So.

What is the story behind John So?

Fined for food safety breaches back when he was the lord mayor as well as being charged with food safety breaches in 2010 when he was a director of ‘Dragon Boat on the Yarra’.

article

Code of Conduct to Prevent Sexual Harassment – final draft

Screen Australia has today published its final draft of the proposed Code of Conduct to Assist the Prevention of Sexual Harassment. After considering further industry feedback, the aim is for all Screen Australia productions approved from 2 April 2018 onwards to be required to put the Code into effect.

In practice, this will mean that all people working on a production will need to be made aware of the Code and producers will be required to nominate a trained staff member to be a Sexual Harassment Prevention Contact to address any harassment complaints. Producers will be required to submit a Code Compliance Report at the conclusion of production, in the form of a statutory declaration, confirming all Code obligations were met.

“The Sex Discrimination Act was enacted in 1984, but that has not stopped sexual harassment occurring in Australian workplaces, including in the screen industry,” said Screen Australia COO Fiona Cameron. “The proposed Code gives visibility to the standards and responsibilities that already exist, and makes it clear that on any Screen Australia production there is zero tolerance for harassment.”

“Because the screen industry depends heavily on freelancers and contractors, the Code also gives producers a method of clearly setting an expectation that the workplace must be safe for all, regardless of how people come to work on a production or for how long. We look forward to receiving feedback on the final draft.”

Screen Australia’s intention to create the Code was first announced at the Safe Workplace Strategies industry forum on 12 December 2017. The final draft of the Code was presented late yesterday at the Screen Producers Australia (SPA) Safe Workplace Training workshop.

SPA and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) are also currently working on an industry-wide policy in consultation with the industry, including Screen Australia. It is hoped that a standard industry code will be put in place for all entertainment organisations in the future.

Fiona Cameron added, “The Australian screen industry has a lot to be proud of – our talent, stories and screen businesses are world class. We cannot allow improper, or indeed illegal, workplace behaviour to tarnish our good name. By placing genuine emphasis on protecting our highly valued staff at work, we are also addressing a very real reputational and commercial risk.”

“Of course the aim of the Code is not to manage harassment, but to eradicate it. Creativity cannot thrive in environments where people don’t feel safe.”
FAQs on website.

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The Daily Telegraph is vigorously defending their articles about Geoffrey Rush in his defamation suit against the paper. However, the Telegraph has admitted to an error in the articles. In The Australian today:

I wonder which “rival radio network” he’s working at now?

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