Unlawful termination claim is examining how and why reporter was taken off air after she posted about Israel-Gaza war on social mediaABC journalist being taken off-air and moved on ‘a very serious step’, court hearsDavid Anderson has started giving his evidence and has agreed with Fagir that for a journalist an on-air role at the ABC is highly sought after.I think there’s a step in the middle, of a discussion with Ms Lattouf, to ensure that they’ve sought the right advice from employee relations and people and culture as part of that decision. Continue reading…Unlawful termination claim is examining how and why reporter was taken off air after she posted about Israel-Gaza war on social mediaABC journalist being taken off-air and moved on ‘a very serious step’, court hearsDavid Anderson has started giving his evidence and has agreed with Fagir that for a journalist an on-air role at the ABC is highly sought after.I think there’s a step in the middle, of a discussion with Ms Lattouf, to ensure that they’ve sought the right advice from employee relations and people and culture as part of that decision. Continue reading…
Fagir is taking Anderson back over yesterday’s evidence about the ABC’s treatment of several high-profile presenters who had made potentially contentious statements.
They include former Media Watch host Paul Barry, who tweeted “Israel is killing journalists again” and was not subject to any sanctions; the global affairs editor, John Lyons, the Q+A host, Patricia Karvelas, and the ABC chair, Kim Williams.
Anderson: “I think what we look at is, as I said before, the staff code of conduct and the elements that sit within it. Does it undermine the ABC? Does it undermine the person’s effectiveness at work?”
Anderson then denies Fagir’s assertion that the code of conduct is applied “utterly arbitrarily”.
“No, I wouldn’t categorise it as arbitrary,” he says.
Fagir then responds:
It effectively permits you or any other ABC decision-maker to discriminate in your sanctions based on your own view of things like the truthfulness of the statement.
Anderson replies:
I think what we do is take on board analysis and judgment as to whether or not it requires a sanction.
ABC journalist being taken off-air and moved on ‘a very serious step’, court hears
David Anderson has started giving his evidence and has agreed with Fagir that for a journalist an on-air role at the ABC is highly sought after.
Fagir: “You’d agree that an opportunity to present on the ABC is a very valuable one?”
Anderson: “Yes.”
Fagir then asks: “Would you suggest that being taken off-air, moved on from an ABC gig, is anything other than a very serious step from the employee’s point of view?”
And Anderson responds: “I would agree it’s not something to be done lightly.”
Anderson told court about regrets and flagged ‘step missing’ in Lattouf process
Yesterday we heard from Anderson that he has some regrets over the way the Lattouf matter was handled.
Under cross-examination by Lattouf’s barrister, Oshie Fagir, he said there was a “step missing” and Lattouf should have been given a chance to explain herself:
I think there’s a step in the middle, of a discussion with Ms Lattouf, to ensure that they’ve sought the right advice from employee relations and people and culture as part of that decision.
Anderson, who hired Oliver-Taylor, said the executive was a competent manager but if he had his time over he may have sought additional advice from human resources.
“Hindsight is a wonderful thing,” Anderson said, adding that it would have been useful to talk to Lattouf to find out what the motivation behind her social media post was.
It was an interesting admission and we are keen to hear later today when Oliver-Taylor enters the witness box if he has any regrets.
Anderson also revealed he agreed with the statement “Australia is a racist country” and had no problem with the ABC political editor, Laura Tingle, making the statement at a writers’ festival. The Guardian reported on that story last year.
Fagir challenged Anderson on why Lattouf was taken off air when Tingle and other ABC personalities had been allowed to make potentially contentious or impartial statements.
Anderson said he looked at it on a case-by-case basis.
You can read our report from Wednesday here:
Hi, I’m Amanda Meade, media correspondent, and I’ll be watching day four of the Antoinette Lattouf v ABC unlawful termination claim today.
We will bring you all the evidence as it unfolds from 10.45am though to 4.30pm.
Witnesses today include two ABC chiefs: David Anderson, the managing director who is back to complete his cross-examination, and Chris Oliver-Taylor, the outgoing ABC content chief.