The ABC have voiced their support for TV and radio host Patricia Karvelas following the presenter receiving a wave of homophobic abuse online.
In a statement the broadcaster’s News Director Justin Stevens said it was disturbing that Karvelas was facing so much racist, sexist and homophobic abuse.
“ABC journalist and presenter Patricia Karvelas is a fine, principled journalist and a courageous and generous human being. We’re proud she works for the ABC and grateful for her hard work and huge contribution to the national public broadcaster and audiences.
It is disturbing, saddening and angering that Patricia should find herself the target of online trolling and abuse, much of it sexualised, homophobic and racist, just for speaking publicly about her life.” Stevens said.
Stevens said it was concerning that other media outlets had taken personal photos of the journalist and used them to accompany stories that highlighted the abusive comments.
“For a major national media outlet to compound that abuse by publicising it and publishing personal photos to illustrate it is irresponsible and unjustified.
“As the eSafety Commissioner says: journalists are more likely to experience online abuse who are female, from diverse racial or social backgrounds, are younger, have a disability, or identify as LGBTIQ+. It can have devastating professional and personal impacts. It can lead to the silencing of journalists, with some self-censoring, retreating from covering certain topics or leaving the industry.
“Media outlets should be combatting dangerous online abuse and gender-based and sexual bullying, and standing in solidarity with peers experiencing it, not disingenuously serving to amplify it.” Stevens said.
Karvelas currently hosts the flagship Breakfast program on ABC Radio National as well as hosting the current affairs television show Q and A. Two former hosts of the that program, Stan Grant and Hamish McDonald have both left the broadcaster after experiencing similar online trolling.
The experienced journalist, who has also worked at The Australian and Sky News, shared her experiences of being a member of the LGBTIWQA+ communities in a recent article for the ABC.
Karvelas shared her experiences of working in the Canberra press gallery early in her career and said that she used to be careful about how she shared information about her sexuality.
I think back on those years with a great sense of sadness, that I wasn’t able to be my full self at work,” she says.
“I’m not dead yet so I can be myself now. But I don’t think it should have been the case that I didn’t get that experience in my youth.” Karvelas said.
OIP Staff
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