Kim Williams did not expect to be hurled into a global stoush with the US podcaster Joe Rogan when he took the stage at the National Press Club to make the case for more funding for the public broadcaster.
The ABC chair came armed with a customary erudite speech, replete with references to George Johnston’s masterpiece My Brother Jack and warnings about objective truth from George Orwell.
But a question from the ABC’s Jane Norman about Rogan’s influence sparked international headlines and responses from Rogan and his buddy Elon Musk.
Williams started off well, saying he was the wrong person to comment and he wasn’t a listener. But then he offered a view anyway.
“People like Mr Rogan prey on people’s vulnerabilities: they prey on fear, they prey on anxiety, they prey on all of the elements that contribute to uncertainty in society,” Williams told Norman.
“They entrepreneur fantasy outcomes and conspiracy outcomes as being a normal part of social narrative – I personally find it deeply repulsive.”
Rogan responded on X: “LOL WUT.”
Musk said: “From the head of Australian government-funded media, their Pravda.”
The statements resulted in an inbox full of abusive emails and the ABC chair took to the airwaves again, telling ABC Radio Melbourne host Raf Epstein: “What fascinates me is you say something negative about Joe Rogan, and I have been swarmed with the most unbelievably vicious responses.
“I got one this morning that said that I should ‘stay in my lane and watch out’. And you read it and you think, what are you saying to me?”
No love lost
Lost in all the juicy Rogan quotes was a backhander from Williams about his old foe Phillip Adams, the recently retired host of Radio National’s Late Night Live. Asked whether Adams backed him when he applied for the role of managing director (when he was 30) Williams said he did not. “This is part of the continuing fiction that is Phillip Adams.”
Adams told Weekly Beast in June: “I’m already on the record as not being a great fan of Kim Williams. Kim and I have a lot of history. I’m not happy that he got the big job.”
Unfinished business
Williams couldn’t hide his irritation when asked about the broadcaster’s ongoing dispute with Antoinette Lattouf.
“We have been impeccably silent about the matter, unlike Ms Lattouf and her representatives who seem to have been devoted to sharing on a regular basis with the media on that matter,” he said, adding that she had not in fact been sacked because she only had a five-day contract.
Williams’ comments prompted Lattouf to share again on all her social media platforms. “This isn’t just gaslighting, it’s a brazen disregard for both the law & truth,” she said. “In June, the [Fair Work Commission] ruled I was dismissed.”
In its decision, the commission said: “In this case, I find that the employment relationship between the applicant and the ABC, was terminated at the ABC’s initiative.”
The commission found that Lattouf was terminated at a meeting on 20 December and told it was because “she had been told not to make social media posts for the whole of the five days she would be presenting on the show, but she did so anyway”.
In response an ABC spokesperson said: “The ABC is defending this matter in the Federal Court. The ABC continues to seek a resolution of this matter in the interest of all parties.”
Spellbound
The West Australian newspaper was so excited the prime minister had killed off a deal sewn up with the Greens and David Pocock to create a federal environment protection agency the masthead celebrated with the front page headline: “RIP Nature Positive” and “COOKED: Premier convinces PM to finally bury unpopular enviroment [sic] laws.”
Bursting with glee over the victory for the resources sector, perhaps the editor-in-chief of WA Newspapers, Christopher Dore, momentarily forgot how to spell.
Walkleys feeling the pinch
News Corp Australia launched its own in-house awards 20 years ago in response to a widespread feeling inside Holt Street that the Walkley Awards favoured the ABC and the then Fairfax newspapers and failed to recognise good tabloid journalism.
This antipathy towards the Walkleys has deepened, Weekly Beast has learned. Rupert Murdoch’s Australian arm has withdrawn its sponsorship dollars from the annual celebration of journalism for which it has been a major contributor for many years.
While the ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age are gold sponsors, News Corp has dropped out.
A News Corp spokesperson said: “Some time ago, News Corp Australia completed a review of its corporate sponsorships and did not renew this partnership.”
The withdrawal of News Corp hit the Walkley Foundation hard, coming as it did at the same time as a major sponsorship deal with the fossil fuel company Ampol ended.
Ampol’s two-year platinum sponsorship, which sparked a protest from cartoonists and journalists, was worth several hundred thousand dollars.
For the first time this year nominees did not receive free tickets to the awards, and had to stump up $250 each for a seat. While media companies in the main picked up the cost for their employees, some freelancers could not attend due to the cost.
Apart from ideological reasons the withdrawal of News has almost certainly got something to do with the straitened times in media of course.
Even the company’s own News Awards could not afford to stage a gala event this year, opting instead for a Zoom hook-up to announce the winners.
A week later News Corp’s executive chair, Lachlan Murdoch, hosted an intimate dinner for the winners – a much cheaper option than flying all the interstate nominees and their partners to Sydney for an awards night.
Other Costello in the spotlight
On Monday A Current Affair reporter Seb Costello and a Channel Nine camera operator were doing what foot-in-the-door journalists are legendary for: chasing a target down the street.
Seb’s father, Peter Costello, was subjected to similar treatment by The Australian’s tenacious Liam Mendes, which ended in the former treasurer’s resignation.
The ACA incident, which involved following the man into a women’s toilet, has resulted in Costello and the camo being suspended while the matter is investigated internally.
Victoria police told us: “Police attended an address on Collins Street on Monday, November 25. No offence was detected. No formal complaint has been made at this stage.”
While the Australian Financial Review, owned by Nine, reported there was legal action over the incident, Nine insists nothing illegal took place.
“While we are aware of a range of allegations made against Nine by an individual representing a company facing legal proceedings commenced by ASIC, we believe the legal claim has no basis,” a Nine spokesperson said.
Signing off
This weekend marks a goodbye-for-now for three legendary journalists. On Friday Richard Glover will host his final ABC Radio Drive program, with an episode of TGIF marking the end of his 26 years with the station.
Also farewelling his newsroom after an incredible 31 years – and two Gold Walkeys – is the AFR’s investigative reporter Neil Chenoweth.
Last year Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros took home Gold after uncovering the PwC tax leak scandal.
Chenoweth has also been dogged in his pursuit of News Corp’s financial accounts over decades, attracting criticism from the Murdoch empire for his efforts. The Australian once accused him of having made a career out of “trading conspiratorial stories”. Chenoweth is retiring but will remain a contributor.
“I have no plans, other than that it looks very appealing to lay very, very low for quite some time,” Chenoweth told Beast. “Beyond that, I dunno. Maybe there’s a lifestyle alternative to chasing people endlessly. But would it be as much fun?”
And Monday will see Paul Barry host his final episode of Media Watch.
After 11 years, and almost 500 Media Watch episodes, the investigative journalist and author will walk away from the show.
“I’ve lost the odd friendship and made a few new enemies, but I’ve tried my best to keep the bastards honest, and I hope I’ve earned some respect,” Barry said.
