A few days after ABC presenter Josh Szeps abruptly departed his Sydney radio afternoons show in December 2023 – following disagreements with management over the direction of his program – mornings fill-in presenter Antoinette Lattouf was sacked by the same station after sharing a Human Rights Watch post on Instagram.
On Saturday, the pair will be joined by American journalist Andy Mills and chair Louise Adler at a Festival of Dangerous Ideas event, “Speaking Bluntly: Identity Politics in Journalism”. The discussion will focus on two important questions: does it matter who journalists are – and what they think?
Journalists and ex-ABC broadcasters Antoinette Lattouf and Josh Szeps will debate identity politics in news media at a Festival of Dangerous Ideas event on August 24 in Sydney.Credit: Stephen Kiprillis
“There’s a generational divide I’ve witnessed, most pronounced among Gen Y and Gen Z journos who are sceptical of so-called gatekeepers of ‘truth’ and ‘impartiality’,” says Lattouf, a broadcaster, columnist, co-host of The Antoinettes podcast and co-founder of Media Diversity Australia.
“There’s a massive trust deficit and audiences are increasingly hostile towards the media, so perhaps we need to stop lying to ourselves about objectivity and impartiality. Diversity of thought, age, geography, class and cultural background [are vital]; I’m in favour of seeking ‘moral clarity’, where news outlets subscribe to a set of beliefs [such as the threat of climate change, abuse of power and gendered violence] and are transparent about it.”
Lattouf – who was terminated three days into a five-day contract – describes her ongoing litigation against the ABC as “physically, psychologically and emotionally exhausting”.
“Exposing abuses of power, sharing facts without fear or favour and ensuring the media is safe and inclusive for journalists, irrespective of their ethnic background, is essential for our democracy,” she says, adding that she’d prefer to focus on reporting instead of defending herself in a legal battle.
The ABC declined to comment.
“It’s a mistake to think membership of historically disenfranchised minority or identity groups automatically brings diverse outlooks.”
Josh Szeps
Szeps, who has hosted Lattouf on his own podcast, Uncomfortable Conversations, says his job at the ABC became untenable when he realised his bosses “don’t mind presenters taking positions, it just has to be management’s position”.
