Nisha Popli, an assistant Public Relations manager at Media Mantra, has publicly called out a journalist for allegedly sending inappropriate and intrusive texts to female colleagues in the industry. Ms Popli shared screenshots of the conversations on LinkedIn, revealing disturbing messages that included intimate questions about personal habits, such as showering and sleeping alone.
In another exchange, the journalist asked a colleague to call him before bed and, when she didn’t comply, persistently pestered her about it. Furthermore, in another conversation, he inquired about another colleague’s showering habits, making a generalising comment about “most girls” showering after returning home.
“Being a woman in PR and communications comes with its challenges, but some of them shouldn’t exist in a professional space. Recently, My colleagues and I came across messages from a journalist at a well-known publication; messages that were not just unprofessional but outright inappropriate. He was texting inappropriate texts to women in the PR industry like “Have you taken a shower?” and “Are you staying alone?”—and even asking one out on a date,” the post read.
“This isn’t just about PR or Journalism. It’s about maintaining respect, ethics, and boundaries in every professional interaction. No industry should tolerate this behaviour, and no woman should have to navigate these situations in her career,” she added.
Ms Popli’s decision to publicly document and criticise the inappropriate messages sparked a significant reaction within PR circles. While some urged her to name and shame the individual responsible, Ms Popli chose not to, citing concerns that doing so would have devastating consequences for the person’s life.
One user wrote, “This is so, so disgusting. No one should have to endure this kind of disrespect, especially in a professional space. High time we call out and make sure these actions don’t go unnoticed. Complaint to the Editor, if they don’t take action, let’s not hesitate to call out the names behind it too.”
Another commented, “It’s actually the first time I’m seeing someone in PR calling out such behaviour. Though I hear about it from my friends all the time. I’m just glad someone did.”
A third said, “This is typical predatory behaviour and needs to be called out before more women become victims. This creep has obviously gotten away with these antics for years, and that has emboldened him. Time to change that, I say.”
