Independence of Journalism at risk: Antoinette Lattouf should be reinstated
By Mary Kostakidis
Jan 18, 2024
The Lattouf story shows that the same level of white colonial supremacist attitudes that have forged the bond of western leaders on the Middle East issue permeates the leadership of public broadcasting.
Antoinette Lattouf should be reinstated by the ABC. Her case goes before the Fair Work Commission today. For good reason, her sacking by the ABC has drawn international attention amid criticisms of bias in the media. Here is why.
A level of influence that is anti-democratic
The coordinated and effective campaign to have her sacked – ostensibly for an innocuous post – has revealed the insidious and disproportionate influence of the Israeli lobby in the media and its determination to ensure there is only a one sided narrative in a news story of vital importance – the genocide has created a level of instability in the region that threatens a broader war. A one sided narrative in the media cultivates ignorance in the public and enables our leaders to maintain unquestioned entrenched support for Israel, not only with words but with supplies and intelligence, and possibly with armed forces should they see fit to do so. Attempts to interfere and prevent the interrogation of our foreign policy are anti democratic.
A failure of leadership at the public broadcaster
The standard to which public broadcasters are held is high because they are funded by the public purse. They serve the public interest in ensuring we have the information that enables us to participate in the democratic process. In this, ABC leadership has failed – they have failed to uphold journalistic principles and defend both independence in journalism and their staff who are unsurprisingly considering going on strike. Lattouf’s posting of the conclusions of an internationally highly regarded human rights group can’t credibly be interpreted as a failure to be impartial – the ABC itself reported the Human Rights Watch conclusions.
Racism and Bias
This is not just a failure of courage to stand up to bullying by a bunch of lawyers whose behaviour revealed in WhatsApp messages appears to be a collusion to create an anxiety in the ABC leadership of a looming legal threat, to create panic and fear to get the result they wanted, which was to have her sacked immediately. No. What enabled the ABC to use its code of conduct to sack Lattouf is inherent racism. Can you imagine journalists and presenters being sacked for sharing for HRW reports that expose or condemn Iran or Assad or China’s treatment of Uyghurs? They would have to sack everybody.
The Lattouf story shows that the same level of white colonial supremacist attitudes that have forged the bond of western leaders on the Middle East issue permeates the leadership of public broadcasting. This genocide is been enabled through decades of dehumanisation of a population. Now journalists and radio hosts who might reveal the effects of this dehumanisation are to be cancelled?
The new head of the ABC needs to be tough and clear eyed about both the independence of journalism and why it matters, to have intellectual grunt and guts, and to contribute to public discourse in ways that strengthen democracy. And Lattouf should be reinstated to complete her contract.
For further reading we recommend:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/australian-journalist-fired
Mary Kostakidis is a journalist. She presented SBS World News for two decades. Previous articles include Watching the Eyes for Declassified Australia. She covers Julian Assanges’s Extradition court proceedings live on Twitter.
