Read the emails between ABC management

Just as happened with the roiling scandal factory that was the Bruce Lehrmann saga, the unlawful dismissal case brought against the ABC by Antoinette Lattouf has allowed us to see the kind of internal media correspondence that is generally hidden from the public gaze.

In December 2023, Lattouf was hired as a casual fill-in for five days on ABC Radio Sydney’s Mornings program. The complaints, and the background discussions in response to those complaints, seem to have started almost immediately.

Monday

‘I’ve started to get many complaints about Antoinette’

At 1.35pm on Monday, December 18, 2023, the day of Lattouf’s first shift, ABC managing director David Anderson emails news director Justin Stevens, then ABC chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor and the then acting editorial director at the ABC Simon Melkman. Attached to the correspondence is a series of emails of complaint sent to Anderson, the ABC board, and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland regarding Lattouf’s engagement.

The complaints focus on a number of claims about Lattouf — in particular, that her reporting with Crikey on the Sydney Opera House protest of October 9 displayed an anti-Israel bias that rendered her an inappropriate person to work for the ABC. At 4.07pm Oliver-Taylor emails a collection of notes on Lattouf to Anderson, Stevens, Melkman and ABC head of audio content Ben Latimer, apparently collated with the help of then manager of ABC Radio Sydney Steve Ahern.

It notes that “as part of our diversity policy a couple of years ago, a number of people were identified as potential future presenters for ABC Radio, Antoinette was one of them”. On the subject of her reporting with Crikey, he concludes:

She has done reporting that the chants of ‘gas the Jews’ were unverified. She has investigated that position in an article for Crikey, which could be perceived as taking a position, but, when read in full, it appears balanced and journalistically sound.

‘… mindful of how this might play out …’

At 11pm, Melkman replies. Referring specifically to Lattouf’s social media posts in which she has retorted to critics of her views on Gaza, he advises that management should consider “the risk of jumping the gun or overreacting to this”. He writes, “I think there’s a high chance that if the ABC was to cut her presenting role short because of this Instagram post — a post which she would presumably argue was entirely defensible, and not reflective of offensive views etc. — she would make it a very big (and very public) issue.”

Oliver-Taylor thanks him for his “thoughtful and considerate advice”.

Tuesday

‘I don’t believe there’s any justification for pulling her off air’

Melkman follows up the next morning, Tuesday, at 11.10am, apparently following a discussion with Ahern and Latimer, confirming:

Based on the complaints we’ve seen thus far, I haven’t identified any breaches of our personal use of social media
guidelines. That’s not a guarantee that she hasn’t breached the guidelines — motivated complainants may trawl
through her accounts and uncover something problematic that we haven’t seen, and we should look into anything
that complainants raise. But for the time being I don’t believe there’s any justification for pulling her off air.

‘The Chair/Board has received several email complaints’

At 3.28pm Lauren Stokes, executive assistant to then ABC chair Ita Buttrose, sends Oliver-Taylor an email stating “The Chair/Board has received several email complaints regarding Antoinette Latouff.” [sic]

A pro-forma response to be sent to complainants on the Friday, apparently drafted by Melkman, is shared by Oliver-Taylor at 6.19pm. The email acknowledges the concerns, describes Lattouf as “an excellent broadcaster” who the ABC has engaged as a “short term fill in presenter” and outlines that she has not been hired to “report on the war.”

The email points out that the ABC was not involved in the aforementioned Crikey story, and includes a provision for complaints asserting that the ABC has breached Clause 4 of the Code of Practice: “We do not believe any of Antoinette’s broadcasts this week have contravened our Code of Practice. However, if you have any specific concerns about segments you’ve heard on the program, you are welcome to outline them by return email and we would be happy to consider them.”

‘We owe her nothing’

At 8.49pm Buttrose sends Anderson an email that reads in its entirety:

“Has Antoinette been replaced. I am over getting emails about her.
Regards
Ita”

Anderson replies at 9.27pm that “Antoinette will finish up on Friday. It is a managed exit, given the situation.”

At 9.59pm, Buttrose replies, saying she has “a whole clutch more of complaints”.

Complaining that “We should be in damage control not managed exits David”, Buttrose asks “Can’t she come down with flu? Or COVID? Or a stomach upset? We owe her nothing…”

Wednesday

‘Clearly complaints have been shared’

On Wednesday morning at 11.24am, media writer for The Australian Sophie Elsworth sends ABC head of communications Nick Leys a media request regarding Lattouf. Roughly an hour and 20 minutes later, Leys forwards this on to Oliver-Taylor and Latimer, saying: “Clearly complaints have been shared.”

At 11.25am Buttrose sends Oliver-Taylor an email saying “I think we will keep getting these complaints until Antoinette leaves”.

At some point on Wednesday, Lattouf shares a Human Rights Watch report on her Instagram which alleges that starvation was being used against the civlian population of Gaza as a tool of war.

At 12.29pm Oliver Taylor texts Anderson “Looks like she’s breached editorial impartiality”. This is followed by a text reading “Aus are going to run a yarn. I’m going to action this now and try and beat the story.” Followed by “Actioned. Statement going out. I have requested a full review as to how she was hired in the first place. Apologies again.”

At approximately 1.45pm, Lattouf is called into a meeting with then content director of ABC Radio Sydney Elizabeth Green and told she is being let go.

At 2.53pm Lattouf texts Green an article discussing her departure in The Australian, written by Elsworth, asking how her sacking had already made it into the national broadsheet. Green apologises and says “I have no idea how it’s there”.

‘It’s nice to get congratulatory emails’

At 5.09pm Buttrose forwards an email thanking her and the board for sacking Lattouf to Anderson:

“It’s nice,” Buttrose comments, “to get congratulatory emails.”

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