Senior NZ Herald journalist adds to complaints about Martin Devlin at NZME
Friday, 4 June 2021
An award-winning New Zealand Herald journalist is among more complainants to come forward about NZME’s embattled broadcaster Martin Devlin.
Stuff can reveal NZME has received at least two more complaints about the Newstalk ZB host, who has been stood down for the second time in three weeks while his behaviour is put back under the microscope.
At least one of those complainants is a current NZME employee – from the Herald – the first sign NZME’s issues with Devlin may not be limited to the company’s radio arm.
Stuff understands NZME has also been made aware of allegations about Devlin’s behaviour from a former Newstalk ZB staff member.
Further complainants have come forward to NZME after Stuff revealed Devlin, 57, threw a punch at a young journalist in the newsroom on May 10.
Devlin admitted throwing the punch, which missed, and issued a public apology after Stuff broke the story. The New Zealand Herald reported on the issue after the news broke.
On Thursday night, Stuff approached one of the new complainants – whose decision to speak up to their employer has contributed to further examination of Devlin’s behaviour.
When asked directly about their formal complaint, the senior NZME journalist said they were not able to talk about the matter.
Stuff has chosen not to reveal the complainant’s identity.
Do you know more? Email simon.plumb@stuff.co.nz or call Stuff's Auckland newsroom (09) 374 4752.
After an in-house investigation by radio boss Wendy Palmer initially allowed Devlin to return to air, the Herald broke a story last week reporting its parent company NZME had stood him down again.
“In recent days NZME has been made aware of matters allegedly involving on-air host Martin Devlin that require further investigation,” the company said in a statement.
It also acknowledged – for the first time – that allegations about Devlin were being probed independently.
“Martin will remain off-air while these matters are independently investigated and until they are appropriately resolved,” an NZME spokesman said.
“Martin has said he will cooperate fully with the investigation.”
NZME has not responded to questions from Stuff.
After NZME wrapped it's first probe of Devlin and he returned to air, the in-house investigation was called into question by one of the veteran's victims.
Stuff revealed an advocate for the young colleague Devlin threw a punch at was in fresh talks with management of NZME.
Devlin's apology about the May 10 punch throw also revealed he had sent inappropriate messages to “other colleagues”.
Devlin said he felt “ashamed”, saying: “That shame is real and dumb in equal measure.
“My behaviour was wholly unacceptable, I am deeply, deeply sorry and have apologised to [the person I threw a punch at] and my other colleagues who witnessed it.”
Devlin also said he had mental health struggles.
“Ever since my father died in 2007 I’ve really struggled to keep an even keel and have battled depression, ever since,” he said.
“It's inexplicable that I feel shame, particularly after the incredible work that men like Mike King and John Kirwan have done to try and de-stigmatise mental illness, but I can tell you the shame is very real.
“It seems counterintuitive but perhaps admitting it publicly may help me. I begin therapy on Monday [May 24] to deal with my anger.”
Devlin is no stranger to controversy, with a chequered history both on and off-air.
Two years ago NZME’s now-defunct station, Radio Sport, apologised after Devlin hit out at a woman live on air because she took an anti-rape banner into a cricket game.
The woman was author and award-winning journalist Madeleine Chapman, who took the banner in protest of Scott Kuggeleijn’s inclusion in the Black Caps squad.
Kuggeleijn faced two trials in 2016 and 2017 on charges of raping a woman in 2015. The first jury was undecided and the second found him not guilty.
Devlin called Chapman “the lowest form of life” and “dickheadish”, adding “hope you've got no skeletons rattling away there, love”.
In a statement, Devlin defended his comments as humour, saying: “I have missed the mark with my satire but I'm always learning.”
Also in 2019, Devlin didn’t appreciate media coverage of a Tenancy Tribunal dispute with his former landlord over unpaid bills.
He was ordered to pay his former landlord $1656 for failing to pay internet, power, gas, Sky TV and water bills.
Devlin reacted to reporting of information sourced from publicly-available documents by calling it “fake news” which had been “totally taken out of context”.
In 2016, Devlin threatened and abused a listener on air in an expletive-laden attack. After receiving a text from an unknown number, Devlin attempted to call the number back on live radio.
He didn’t reveal the content of the message, but threatened to track the person down to their workplace and give the same abuse back.
In 2011, Devlin was charged by police with disorderly behaviour after an argument with his then-wife in downtown Auckland.
The disorder charge was dropped after he completed a police diversion scheme – a course where the prosecution can agree to allow an offender to be dealt with out of court.
The same year, police removed him from a flight for alleged unruly behaviour, after the captain called for help. In response, Devlin told media at the time the flight crew had overreacted to questions about a delay.