Antoinette Lattouf Instagram – After being abruptly pulled off-air in Dec 2023, my Federal Court trial begins Monday, February 3, and is expected to run for six days.
I’ll be cross-examined, along with ABC executives, including former chair Ita Buttrose, outgoing MD David Anderson, outgoing chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor, and ABC Sydney manager Steve Ahern, who quietly left the ABC a few months after my dismissal.
This has been a grueling 14-month ordeal, but I’ve persisted despite the toll on my mental, physical & financial health and career prospects because this fight is much bigger and far more important than me.
It’s about exposing abuses of power & addressing issues that have far-reaching consequences, especially at a time when so many are being harmed, and human rights atrocities are ongoing.
Australians fund the ABC & deserve an ABC that is fair, independent & accountable.
My lawyers will argue that my dismissal after sharing a factual Human Rights Watch post was unjust and based on my political opinions, including:
•Supporting human rights for Palestinians.
•Opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the ongoing killing of Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.
•Calling for press freedom, journalistic integrity, and fair reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
•Highlighting the targeting and intimidation of Australian journalists critical of Israel, as I was by pro-Israel WhatsApp groups (and others).
•Investigating the veracity of a disinformation video of Opera House racist violent chants that had audio/vision/subtitles manipulated to strategically stoke fear & division. A piece of journalism later backed by NSW police.
•And/or my race as an Arab/Lebanese/Middle Eastern woman.
It should be noted that at the time of my sacking, I was hosting a magazine/lifestyle programme on ABC radio not in news or current affairs and given the lead up to Christmas the show was strategically and deliberately light and festive including playing lots of Michael Buble music.
We’ll also argue the ABC breached its EBA by failing to follow procedures in my sacking.
If you’d like to support my legal fees, details are in my bio.
#NoFearNoFavour | Posted on 24/Jan/2025 03:14:01
