Antoinette Lattouf has thrown her hat into the ring to be the subsequent host of the ABC’s Media Watch, regardless of presently being engaged in an illegal dismissal case towards the nationwide broadcaster.
Present host Paul Barry introduced this week he’s leaving this system on the finish of the yr because it was ‘time to offer another person a go’.
Ms Lattouf, 40, was taken off air three days into her week-long stint as a fill-in host on ABC Radio final December due to controversial Instagram posts she had made.
One submit linked to a human rights report that accused the Israelis of ‘utilizing hunger of civilians as a weapon of battle in Gaza’.
Ms Lattouf subsequently launched a Honest Work declare, alleging she was fired over her political beliefs and her Lebanese heritage.
The ABC claimed she breached the organisation’s social media coverage round impartiality and that she was not truly sacked as a result of she was paid for the total week.
Antoinette Lattouf has put herself ahead as the brand new host of Media Watch on the ABC regardless of being locked in an unfair dismissal battle with the broadcaster
Present host Paul Barry is stepping down after 11 years helming the flagship program
However Ms Lattouf scored a serious win in her case earlier this month when the Honest Work Fee dominated that she was certainly sacked by the nationwide broadcaster.
The bitter and drawn-out authorized struggle may nonetheless find yourself within the Federal Courtroom if scheduled mediation talks between Ms Lattouf and the ABC subsequent week fail.
Regardless of the continuing saga over her sacking, Ms Lattouf has steered she ought to be the one to take over flagship program Media Watch after present host and media veteran Mr Barry introduced final week he was exiting in December after 11 years.
‘So expensive Aunty, let’s put the sacking behind us. I am going to gladly settle for reinstatement as the brand new host of Media Watch,’ Ms Lattouf’s wrote in a tongue-in-cheek piece for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ms Lattouff stated that regardless of the job normally going to an older male she felt she was cynical sufficient to take the reigns of one of many hardest jobs in media.
She turned to social media platform X the place she polled simply in need of 3,200 individuals on who ought to be the subsequent host of the present, giving them 4 choices.
Together with herself, she nominated Leo Puglisi who’s the 16-year-old founding father of on-line information web site 6 Information Australia, veteran columnist and political commentator Gerard Henderson, and smash-hit Aussie cartoon cartoon character Bluey.
Teenage 6 Information founder Leo Puglisi was additionally put ahead as a bunch for the present to attract in youthful viewers
Veteran columnist Gerard Henderson was additionally steered in a Twitter ballot run by Ms Lattouf
As was cartoon character Bluey who she stated, tongue-in-cheek, can be an incredible host to maintain the appointment in-house and maybe draw on a few of that present’s recognition
The journalist stated Mr Puglisi can be a sensible appointment to attract in youthful viewers, which the ABC is desperately in want of, whereas Bluey can be good to maintain the function ‘in-house’ with the ABC.
Mr Henderson who already writes the Media Watch Canine column for The Australian was included to keep away from any perceptions of the ABC’s left-wing bias, she stated.
Ms Lattouf got here out on prime with 45 per cent of the vote, nicely forward of runner-up Mr Puglisi with 35 per cent, adopted by Bluey wit 17 per cent and Mr Henderson with a measly 2.9 per cent.
She stated she ‘beloved holding the media to account’ and would relish the gig.
‘Currently, I’ve featured on the present, not as host however nonetheless within the hot-seat. Fortunately, it has been supportive of me,’ she stated.
Mr Puglisi stated he was flattered to be thought-about, at the least by Ms Lattouf, for the function.
‘So long as the ABC strikes the Media Watch start-time earlier when it is a college night time, I would be completely happy to host,’ Mr Puglisi instructed Every day Mail Australia.
