A freelance journalist who was fired by the ABC after sharing a post about Israel's use of starvation as a 'weapon of war' is challenging her dismissal in federal court. The journalist claims she was not given a directive to avoid posting on social media and argues that the ABC's decision to dismiss her was arbitrary and unfair.
A suggestion from ABC management that a journalist refrain from posting on social media after a barrage of complaints over her criticism of Israel has been described as strange and unfair. Freelance journalist and presenter, who is of Lebanese and Arab descent, was hired on a casual basis to present the Mornings show on ABC Radio Sydney over five days in December 2023.
She stepped back into the witness box on the second day of a Federal Court hearing in her case against the public broadcaster on Tuesday. She recounted a phone call she had with ABC Radio Sydney content director Elizabeth Green two days before she was let go. Green allegedly described the ABC receiving a flood of complaints from pro-Israel lobbyists about the decision to put Lattouf on air. '(Green) said 'Yes I agree, it's angering me that I have to have this conversation'.' Lattouf said she then pushed back on a suggestion that she keep a low profile on social media and perhaps refrain from posting anything during her stint with the ABC.If a journalist was killed in Gaza, she would post about it because it was a fact and a tragedy, the court was told. Under questioning by ABC barrister Ian Neil SC, Lattouf said Green eventually agreed she could post facts from reputable sources but conjecture or misinformation was off the table. The presenter was dismissed after sharing a post from Human Rights Watch reporting that Israel had used starvation as a 'weapon of war' in Gaza.Lattouf was let go from her casual ABC radio position after sharing a Human Rights Watch post on social media. A key issue in the case is whether the ABC gave Lattouf a direction not to post anything on social media. The public broadcaster is defending the case, saying that the freelance journalist was let go after breaching this direction as well as its editorial policies. From the witness box, Lattouf denied being given any orders, saying Green had offered a suggestion they then discussed in their conversation. She said she had pushed back against what she saw as an arbitrary use of the ABC's social media policy. 'I've been a journalist long enough to know that it's a bit strange just to pick and choose which presenters can share facts about what topics,' Lattouf said. She said she was in shock and trying to get clarity after her dismissal because the ABC did not tell her how she allegedly breached the policy
ABC Journalist Social Media Israel Discrimination Freedom Of Speech Federal Court
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