Mark Di Stefano - A Modern Media Morality Tale

Ultimately, he jumped before being pushed: Mark Di Stefano has resigned his post at the Financial Times, following a mildly creative news gathering exercise which involved his eavesdropping on Zoom calls at the Evening Standard and Independent. The calls discussed such matters as staff cuts and furloughs. Both titles complained to the FT; the FT suspended him. And as Zelo Street predicted last Tuesday, he has now gone.

Mark Di Stefano. Not at the FT. No comment

So far, so procedural, but after Di Stefano Tweeted “Hi, letting everyone know today was my last day at the FT. This afternoon I offered my resignation. Thank you everyone who has given support. I’m now going to take some time away and log off” came a series of examples why our media class has a problem. A problem with itself.

Several otherwise rational journalists told him that they were sorry to see him depart, wished him luck, even offered praise for his work. I’ll refrain from embarrassing most of those concerned, except to note that heaping praise and sympathy on someone who has effectively just been caught with his hand in the till is not a good look.

As a small selection, Di Stefano’s former BuzzFeed colleagues have been effusive in their praise, Ade Onibada being one of them: “Mark, you’re one of the coolest, most talented and encouraging person I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Can’t wait to see what you do next”. Stuart Millar, BuzzFeed UK editor, went rather further.

“Just gutted to see this. Mark is a superb journalist with a real gift for developing sources and landing stories. He's produced some great and fearless reporting since he landed in the UK and I don't doubt for a second we'll see his byline on big scoops again in the future”. Going to offer him a way back, Mr M? Don’t bet against it.

Pass the sick bucket

Then came the gradual giveaway: first, a gushing intervention from Alex “Billy Liar” Wickham, Di Stefano’s former colleague. “Glad there is so much support already for Mark, who is a superb reporter and one of the best, most decent people I know. This is an absolutely ridiculous and appalling outcome. A good and experienced editor stands by their reporter”. Wickham’s journalistic standards are well known to Zelo Street regulars.

We're going to need a bigger sick bucket

Those standards include praising yesterday’s Coronavirus test figure-fiddling by the Tories, as he grovelled “Fair play [Matt Hancock and Jim Bethell] - am glad I didn't splash a newspaper yesterday that the target would be ‘comprehensively missed’”. An unprincipled sleazebag with an eye on the Future SpAd Main Chance.

And then the reputational coup de grace was administered by the BBC’s Hannah Bayman: “Two years ago [Mark Di Stefano] infiltrated a private chat of BBC women staff members - ordinary workers, not execs or editors - and published our conversations along with a string of inaccuracies. Never called anyone to verify or give right of reply. It’s not journalism”. “Coolest”. “Most decent”. “Superb journalist”. “Fearless reporting”.

As Peter Jukes of Byline Media observed, “This puts things into a different context, especially with the trolling of [Carole Cadwalladr]”. That’s putting it mildly, 007.

The media class persists in its own version of “He may be an SOB, but he’s our SOB”. And they wonder why their audience generally despises them. I’ll just leave that one there.

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