Advertising leaders have come together in support of WPP interim CEO John 'Steady' Steedman, following his open letter to the industry this week calling out the "cancerous trend" of anonymous trolling.
Steedman took aim at anonymous comments within the trade press, what he calls the "ugly side" to online communications.
Labelling the comments as " the coward punches of public debate" Steedman is calling for action, saying the industry has reached a "tipping point".
AdNews contacted both media and creative agency leaders, as well as media owners to get their thoughts on the issue.
(Editor's note: AdNews will continue to moderate its comments section. Please see here to read our previous coverage of the issue.)
Sophie Madden, MFA (Media Federation of Australia) CEO:
"The MFA agrees with Steady’s position on the negative and counter-productive influence of anonymous commenting on industry websites. Mean-spirited and disparaging comments can cause lasting damage to those on the receiving end, and discredit our industry in the eyes of our clients and the broader community. We always encourage member agencies to act ethically in all aspects of business, including in public discourse, but at the end of the day, it’s up to the publishers to remove the cloak of anonymity or to better moderate the comments they approve."
Peter Horgan, CEO, Omnicom Media Group Australia and New Zealand:
“Steady has our unreserved support in this. There has to be a better mechanism than anonymous trolling. This brings out the worst in human instincts.”
Mark Lollback, CEO of GroupM Australia & New Zealand:
“I wholeheartedly support the stand that Steady and WPP AUNZ have taken on this issue. Negative, abusive commentary is destructive & disgusting and undermines the entire industry. Healthy debate and constructive criticism are valid, but we do ourselves, each other and the media and advertising industry a disservice when we stoop into anonymous, cowardly trolling. It adds no value and we should stamp it out.”
Henry Tajer, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network:
“Totally agree with Steady’s sentiment. Cowards make bullies. The level of negativity on these anonymous comments cross the line. We need to insist that all comments are identified.”
Michael Miller, CEO News Corp Australia:
Well said Steady. Veteran media legend calls on the industry to take a stand against anonymous online trolls who are "the coward punches of public debate".@AdNewshttps://t.co/VmAAxUQ75M
— Michael Miller (@michaelmillerau) June 25, 2019
Michael Rebelo, CEO Publicis Groupe Australia & NZ:
The Australian advertising and media industry at its best is a world-class industry that I’m proud to say I’m part of. But to see us at our worst, you only have to read the anonymous, vitriolic comments that exists in our industry media. Globally we’re renowned for the quality of our ideas, our talent and our industry as a whole. Embarrassingly, we’re also infamous for the hate that is allowed to have an anonymous voice in our media. Open and constructive debate is healthy and only makes us better. If you have the courage to put your head above the parapet with a point of view or idea, then we should all respect that and allow the discussion to continue with the same level of courage – putting your name to it. John Steedman’s open letter is a much-needed call to arms for our industry. Everyone – agencies, advertisers, production companies and publishers – should rally behind this. We should do this for our people, for the health of our industry and just because it’s absolutely the right thing to do.
Aimee Buchanan, OMD Australia CEO:
“I agree wholeheartedly and believe it’s time to put a stop to the trolling. It’s fuelling negative perceptions of our industry and doing little to lift the bar on the conversations we should be having. Freedom of speech and healthy debate is key, but this shouldn’t be done hidden behind anonymity. This anonymity is causing the reverse impact, with people fearful of openly contributing and putting their names against their view, for fear of the judging comments. In an era where we are faced with increasing mental health issues (in our industry more than others) we should also be more aware of the both personal impact trolling has, and the broader impact it has on the perception of the industry.”
Paul Bradbury, CEO Australia New Zealand:
“TBWA is right behind Steady. Anonymous blogging is hurting our industry, our reputation and people's well being and confidence. Time to stop this rubbish.”
Katie Rigg-Smith, Mindshare CEO:
“This has long been a problem that’s plagued our industry. It’s awful, upsetting and sad that this is so prominent in our industry. We should be inspiring the next generation and demonstrating that we are an ideas industry populated by the brightest minds and punctuated by constructive debate and healthy challenge – not that we stand by and accept small-minded, petty nastiness. Steady is a true leader and I hope the rest of the industry takes note, and we see a change in behaviour.”
Willie Pang, MediaCom CEO:
“We applaud Steady’s bold step and support the initiative. Coupled with the recent ruling on the responsibility of publishers to police defamatory comments on their social pages, and whilst the issues aren’t strictly related, I think it’s an ideal time to surface the problem and take action. Having recently spent some time overseas discussing the state of the industry in Australia, our colleagues around the world are astounded by how cynical, hyper competitive and negative we are as a collective. I think there is a long term detrimental impact on peoples’ desire to build a career in the space and we should be swapping it for encouragement.”
Zenith CEO Nickie Scriven:
“Given that mental illness is such a major issue in our industry, we need to make sure that we don’t give bullies a platform to spread their negativity, abuse and harmful behaviour. To combat this, we need to take the practical step of banning anonymous comments.”
John Gutteridge, CEO Australia/NZ, Wunderman Thompson ANZ:
“I fully support the initiative taken by John Steedman to stamp out this damaging practice. Anonymous trolling has a very real and very personal impact on those mentioned or attacked – and it’s not just among those that work in agencies, but our clients too. It’s also damaging how our industry is perceived. The majority of us are hard-working professionals doing our best to generate the best outcomes possible. But this negative and anonymous commentary makes our industry look petty and small. We’re bigger than that.”
Starcom CEO Toby Barbour:
“Anyone who partakes in publicly ridiculing their industry peers, by making false and baseless claims, or deeply hurtful personal attacks on an industry website (or on any media and social platform) must be stopped. I wholeheartedly support the call for publishers to ban anonymous posts; or review their moderation process to put in place more effective policies.”
Jaimes Leggett, M&C Saatchi group CEO:
When it comes to creativity, Australia is punching well above its weight on the global stage; we have brilliant people doing great work and we should be fiercely proud of that. Yet, reading the anonymous commentary on industry publications, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. At M&C Saatchi, we support a stand against online trolls. It’s time that we all stood up for the great work and people in the industry rather than revert to tall poppy syndrome.
Peter Vogel, Wavemaker CEO:
Personally I know there’s so much I can learn from the broader industry network around me. Reading an opinion of another person, challenges my thinking and teaches me something new everyday. I hate the thought of not having this source of insight to tap into in future, but that’s exactly what will happen if we don’t stop the trolling. To publish a thought leadership piece or to put your opinion to paper is scary enough, without the fear that someone will trash what you’ve got to say, professionally or personally. Rather, let us have meaningful and constructive conversations with one another. Please be kind. Your words are powerful.
“I am a strong believer in feedback, it is something that we instil into all of our people at PHD. However there also needs to be strong parameters set as to how feedback is given. Crucially, if someone is going to receive feedback, they have the right to know who it came from as this will help with their ability to digest it. To the people who leave anonymous, what can only be described as ‘hate mail’, this is bullying and should not be tolerated on any level.”
Davy Rennie, Tribal National MD:
“Comments on Campaign Brief and other trade titles are about as positive as the Daily Mail comments during political coverage. For a bunch of people who get to work in such a vibrant industry, we throw a fair amount of shit at each other. Good on Steady for calling it out and pushing for publishing houses to do more to counteract the vile anonymous trolling that is currently plaguing our industry. I whole-heartedly agree that publishers and professionals have an obligation to address the trend of trolling in the industry, as much as guilty individuals need to reconsider their behaviour. It’s the only way we can collectively flip the script and raise the industry up as a whole to celebrate work from others like we celebrate our own. I urge everyone in the industry to stop the hate and #celebratethegreat.”
Sally Kissane, managing director, Ogilvy Sydney:
“It’s time for our industry to grow up and do better, and we are 100% behind Steady’s campaign to stamp out the faceless and damaging online trolls. As an agency, our people are our most important asset, and this kind of anonymous commentary lets everyone down – the work, the people, and our industry We always welcome healthy commentary and critique – don’t use anonymity as a ‘safety net’. If you want to debate an issue, have the conviction to put your name to it.”
Nick Foley, President for Southeast Asia Pacific and Japan, Landor:
“By ensuring people put their names to their comments, the incidence of trolling, hate speech and degenerative quips will rapidly diminish. we fully support this initiative by John Steedman and look forward to seeing the quality of debate within our Industry rise as a result of it."
Mikaela Crimmins, Strategy Director, Orchard:
"Unless you are a whistle-blower, leading a revolution in an authoritarian state, or you’re using anonymity for the purposes of victim protection, anonymity on industry sites has become an airbag for the toxic, jealous and the unimaginative. If you have something constructive to say, add your name. If you’re using the comments section to vent, perhaps chat to an Uber or Ola driver - they always love a good chin wag and they’ll more than likely give you unsolicited advice in return!"
Matthew Melhuish, CEO The Enero Group:
"At Enero we applaud and endorse the position being taken by John Steedman from WPP. It is a sad truth that some people become vitriolic when they’re anonymous. A lot of the anonymous commentary is bitter or childish and adds nothing to the worth of our great industry. If you have an opinion worth sharing, put your real name to it and make a worthwhile contribution to the ongoing conversation."
Julian Townley, Red Engine SCC CEO:
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