The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is embroiled in a deepening controversy as explosive court testimony reveals that executives pushed to sack journalist Antoinette Lattouf from her very first day on air, despite her direct manager seeing no issue with her social media activity.
Lattouf, a casual broadcaster, was dismissed in December 2023 from hosting ABC Radio’s Sydney Mornings program after a coordinated campaign of complaints about her being on air due to her views on the Israel-Gaza conflict. She has brought an unlawful termination case before the Federal Court.
‘Pressure From Higher Up’ to Remove Lattouf
Elizabeth Green, Lattouf’s line manager who had approached her for the temporary hosting role, testified that there was pressure coming from “higher up” to get rid of Lattouf from the beginning.
“There was pressure from the Monday to get rid of Ms Lattouf,” Green told the court. “I believed it was coming from higher up.”
This contradicts the ABC’s official stance that Lattouf was dismissed for an Instagram post she made on the Tuesday of her hosting week, which managers claim breached a direction to remain impartial. Both Lattouf and Green dispute this characterization.
Manager ‘Did Not See Anything Wrong’ With Post
Green testified that she herself “did not see anything wrong” with Lattouf’s social media activity and had communicated this to other ABC managers. The post in question shared a Human Rights Watch report that the Israeli military was using starvation as a weapon in Gaza – a finding the ABC itself had reported on independently.
Yet after hosting the program on Wednesday, Lattouf was abruptly told she would not complete the final two days of her contract and to leave the premises. She had not discussed the war in Gaza during any of her three radio programs.
ABC Policy Confusion and Double Standards Alleged
Simon Melkman, a senior ABC editorial advisor, conceded under questioning that there is no blanket ban on journalists expressing opinions on social media that some may disagree with. Lattouf’s legal team pointed to various posts by high-profile host Patricia Karvelas as a comparison.
“What we propose to submit is that the rule as it has been articulated is utterly incoherent,” argued Lattouf’s barrister Oshie Fagir, suggesting she was treated differently than other ABC journalists who expressed personal views online without sanction.
Reputation Fallout for Public Broadcaster
As the court case continues, the revelations have sparked a firestorm of criticism over the ABC’s handling of the affair. With executives shown to be applying pressure before any alleged breach occurred, and confusion over the broadcaster’s own social media policies, many are questioning if the ABC succumbed to a partisan pressure campaign at the expense of fairness, independence, and due process.
For a public broadcaster that stakes its reputation on upholding the highest standards of journalism, the Lattouf controversy strikes at the heart of the ABC’s integrity and impartiality. As the court hears more explosive testimony in the coming days, the spotlight will only intensify on the national media institution and how it navigates this crisis of governance and public trust.
