The ABC begs for mercy: Staff at News Corp have been urged to “resist pressure” to attack the ABC’s journalists, by the staff-elected director of the ABC Board Matt Peacock.
Peacock said ABC staff were distressed by the portrayal of them in News Corp newspapers as traitors and one journalist had even been abused in the street ...
“This is the direct result of an inflammatory campaign against the national public broadcaster directed by people who have a duty to show better leadership,” Peacock said in a note to staff on Monday afternoon.
“Many staff have been distressed by the accusation of ‘betrayal’, the inappropriate call that ‘heads must roll’ and barrage of recent offensive headlines and fake pictures featuring ABC staff providing makeup for Isis terrorists and the ABC logo on an Isis flag …”
“I urge staff to stand strong in the face of such intimidation and to maintain our statutory commitment to fearless, impartial and independent coverage,” Peacock, a senior journalist on 7.30, said.
“I also urge my colleagues at News Corporation to resist pressure to mount unfair and provocative attacks on their fellow journalists. Hopefully the current security lockdown of ABC sites will soon be lifted and the inflammatory language end.”
There’s no “pressure”, Matt. I’m doing this for fun. Meanwhile, as guests abandonQ & A, reader Brad E. previews tonight’s show, complete with emergency stand-ins:
