Staff members at the ABC’s Sydney headquarters have threatened to stage a walkout over how the national broadcaster treats its culturally diverse staff.
Around 80 journalists gathered at the Ultimo office and demanded to meet with the ABC’s managing director, David Anderson, following reports that he made the final call to sack broadcaster, columnist and presenter Antoinette Lattouf in December last year.
A spokesperson from the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) told Women’s Agenda the journalists’ union backs the ABC journalists’ demands for answers from Anderson, and all management at the national broadcaster, on why journalists from culturally diverse backgrounds are being treated this way.
“Journalists must be free to report on issues without fear of being reprimanded by their employer when media bosses face outside pressures from unaccountable lobby groups, politicians and big business,” the MEAA spokesperson said.
“Journalists at the ABC are working very hard to tell difficult stories, ethically or without fear or favour, and to be accountable to the public they work for, but they are being let down by management who are capitulating to external pressures.”
#MEAAmedia members at the ABC today called on managing director David Anderson to urgently meet with staff and address growing concerns about outside interference, culturally unsafe management practices and to stand up for journalism without fear or favour. #PressFreedom… pic.twitter.com/LHomCActtu
— MEAA (@withMEAA) January 16, 2024
On Tuesday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on leaked messages in a WhatsApp group chat, showing how members of Lawyers for Israel conducted a coordinated letter-writing campaign, targeted at sacking Antoinette Lattouf from her short-term employment with ABC Radio Sydney.
The people in the group chat in December last year questioned why the ABC was “allowing this woman to host a radio show” and called on the lawyers to “stamp it out” by writing letters to ABC Chair Ita Buttrose.
According to the leaked messages, Buttrose responded to seven of the letters that the pro-Israel lobbyists sent, saying the matter would be dealt with.
“Management should be supporting staff when they come under external attack or criticism to ensure that the public’s trust in the ABC to report without fear or favour can be maintained,” the MEAA spokesperson told Women’s Agenda.
“Our priority is for David Anderson to come out of his office and engage with our members about how the ABC deals with external criticism and attacks and supports its staff.
“No ultimatum has been issued but clearly some staff feel so strongly about these issues that they are considering further action if they are not resolved satisfactorily.”
Women’s Agenda has reached out to the ABC for comment.
What happened?
Antoinette Lattouf was contracted to work for five days hosting the morning slot on ABC Radio Sydney. However, according to the ABC, she was fired two days into the gig for sharing a post from the Human Rights Watch, alleging Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war.
Last week, Lattouf announced she would be expanding her complaint with the Fair Work Commission over her sacking, alleging her employment was terminated not just for her political opinion, but also because of her race.
“Despite the ABC’s rhetoric about diversity and inclusion, it is currently an unsafe workplace for journalists who are people of colour,” she said in a statement.
“I’m aware of a number of diverse journalists who have either resigned or are on the brink of resigning because they are unfairly scrutinised, don’t believe their employer will back them and fear they will be the next to be thrown under the bus.”
Lattouf will be working with high-profile employment compensation lawyer Josh Bornstein, as the case is expected to begin proceedings on January 18.
“Since October 7 and the ensuing conflict in the Middle East, it has become notorious in the media industry that Arab and Muslim journalists are being intimidated, censored and sacked,” Bornstein said.
“In this case we will show that the ABC has not sacked white journalists for expressing political opinion, even where those journalists worked in news and current affairs. Antoinette’s role at the ABC was not a news or current affairs role.”
On ABC Radio Sydney this morning, Kenneth Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, said the ABC had made a mistake in terminating her employment.
He said the post she shared on her social media, which ABC said was “controversial”, was completely “factual”.
“ABC would be living in a different era if they prohibited their journalists from using social media,” Roth said.
“I think it’s worth noting that this was not an opinion piece… (Lattouf) was reporting facts, and facts indeed reported by one of the world’s two leading human rights groups, and facts, if you look at them, that are not controversial.”
‘Inclusion in practice’
Over the last year in particular, the ABC has come under fire for its hypocrisy in relation to diversity and inclusion.
The national broadcaster’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan 2023-2026 was launched last July, with “inclusion in practice” as a fundamental principle to the three-year plan.
However, a number of ABC journalists with culturally diverse backgrounds have been outspoken on how this is not the case in reality.
Last week, ABC political reporter Nour Haydar also resigned from the national broadcaster, citing poor treatment of culturally diverse staff.
“This was not a decision that I made lightly, but one I made with total clarity,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Commitment to diversity in the media cannot be skin deep. Culturally diverse staff should be respected and supported even when they challenge the status quo.”
Haydar, who worked in the ABC’s Parliament House bureau, said she made her decision before learning of Lattouf’s termination, but is equally disappointed with how that situation was handled.
In May last year, before the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan 2023-26 was announced, veteran journalist Stan Grant called out the ABC for its lack of support and action in the wake of “vile”, “targeted” and “racist” abuse on social media.
The Wiradjuri man resigned from his role as host of the news and current affairs program Q+A, before he penned an opinion piece on the ABC News website.
“I am writing this because no one at the ABC — whose producers invited me onto their coronation coverage as a guest — has uttered one word of public support,” Grant said.
“Not one ABC executive has publicly refuted the lies written or spoken about me. I don’t hold any individual responsible; this is an institutional failure.”
Statement from the ABC
On Wednesday, the ABC released a statement on behalf of the Managing Director David Anderson, responding to the unfolding situation.
“The ABC’s independence, enshrined in legislation, is of paramount importance to the role the ABC performs for the Australian public,” Anderson said.
“The ABC rejects any claim that it has been influenced by any external pressure, whether it be an advocacy or lobby group, a political party, or commercial entity. That applies to all decisions made across the organisation, including in relation to content, where the ABC’s Editorial Policies provide strong direction on independence and other crucial matters.
“ABC staff are proud of our high standards of independent journalism, and routinely perform their roles for the Australian public without fear or favour, adhering to our responsibilities of impartiality and accuracy – often in the face of significant unwarranted criticism.
“The ABC will continue to support them and their work, internally and externally. As a result of our high editorial standards and independence, we remain the most trusted media organisation in the country.”
To read David Anderson’s full statement, click here.