GM's Akerson Slams Media Leaks, Then Someone Leaks His Message To Detroit News

General Motors Co. Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson told GM employees Thursday to be loyal to their company.

He said those unwilling to play by the rules "ought to work somewhere else."

Akerson criticized leaks to the news media and on the Internet, and said employees will be asked to sign a document that will address those leaks.

"It's unfortunate when those among us don't live up to those standards," Akerson said during a scheduled meeting and conference call with employees Thursday.

 David Shepardson of The Detroit News promptly obtained access to a recording of the call.

Shepardson writes: "His remarks came within days of the dismissals of two executives at the automaker...Akerson said a Bloomberg News report on the dismissal of marketing executive Joel Ewanick — which cited internal frictions and failure to disclose the full cost of a $559 million deal with an English soccer team — "was almost verbatim what happened."