The ABC political editor Andrew Probyn has been made redundant, and said he was “pretty flabbergasted” to be told by the national broadcaster that they no longer needed a political editor for TV news.
Probyn is the most high-profile journalist so far to be targeted in a cull of 120 jobs before a major restructure of the corporation kicks in on 1 July. In ABC News a total of 41 roles have been made redundant.
“I’m pretty flabbergasted,” he said after being called into a meeting on Thursday and told his job filing political reports for the ABC News and online from the Canberra press gallery was no longer needed.
“I’ve been informed that the national broadcaster no longer need a political editor and that they want to reinvest the money into social and digital reporting roles,” Probyn told Guardian Australia.
“Very good luck to the ABC. I’m still trying to come to terms with it. I am very proud of all the stories I’ve broken at the ABC and the determination and vigour which I’ve brought to political reporting at the national broadcaster.”
The ABC said the job losses were “savings measures and reinvestment initiatives” needed to transition to a digital-first organisation.
ABC’s director of news Justin Stevens told staff the ABC was moving away from linear news broadcast in order to “engage new audiences who are increasingly seeking their political news from other platforms and outlets”.
“This proposal shifts resources within [the ABC’s parliament house bureau] to give us more strength in digital and social production, enabling our political coverage to reach more segments of the currently underserved audiences,” he said.
In internal documents seen by Guardian Australia Stevens said: “The ABC’s Canberra Parliament House Bureau has an outdated, top-heavy structure still largely focused on linear television broadcast”.
The award-winning journalist was hired from the West Australian by the ABC in 2017 and was made political editor after Chris Uhlmann left the broadcaster for Nine.
“And let me just say it’s been a great privilege working as an ABC political editor,” Probyn said. “Only those who have filled this role would know or fully understand the public and political scrutiny that comes with that role, often to your personal detriment. And I’ve done it gladly for the ABC.”
