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ABC presenter Leigh Sales has made the massive name to step down from her position at 7.30 later this yr, however the announcement hasn’t stopped the trolls.
Vile on-line abuse has been levelled at revered ABC presenter Leigh Sales inside hours she introduced she could be stepping down from the broadcaster’s present affairs flagship.
Ms Sales revealed to viewers on Thursday night time’s 7.30 program she would end her position because the present’s presenter in late June.
“I feel a strong sense of it being time to pass the baton to the next runner in the race and to take a break,” she stated.
“I’ve always approached this job with one goal and that is to ask frank questions of people in power, without fear or favour, that a fair-minded, reasonable person with some common sense watching at home might like to ask if they were sitting in my position.”
It marks an finish to nearly 12 years presenting 7.30 – her stint spanning 5 prime ministers, 9 budgets and two elections with a 3rd on the way in which.
But amid the well-wishes for her subsequent transfer got here the trolls.
Within minutes of the announcement on-line barbs have been already being fired at Ms Sales, attacking her over perceived bias in the direction of the federal government.
“Sales‘ hopeless bias has helped keep a transparently corrupt party in government for NINE years!” One Twitter user wrote within an hour of her announcement.
“Anyone else feel it was a bit egocentric of Leigh Sales to make a lengthy detailed announcement of her retirement from #ABC730 about 5 months in advance?? Like she thinks she is more important to us than may actually be the case perhaps??” Another user said.
Another wrote: “I don’t hate her. I’ve a low regard for her expertise as an goal journalist. It started together with her shock look at a 2020 Vic Gov every day covid presser.”
Others questioned whether or not veteran journalist Laura Tingle would take over the position in Ms Sales’ stead.
“Well lets face it Laura Tingle is (sic) Australias foremost journalist and interviewer, able to cut through most arguments. Leigh Sales to me tries to push an agenda and it shows.” A Twitter consumer wrote in response to the suggestion.
Ms Sales isn’t any stranger to the receiving finish of the vile abuse, having publicly revealed among the messages she acquired after grilling Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2020.
Ex-Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett even weighed in, accusing Ms Sales of being “disrespectful” and having unhealthy manners.
A piece she wrote last year for the ABC attracted after she stated “overwhelmingly left-leaning Twitter users” have been concentrating on her with tweets “goading me to stop, demanding the ABC sack me, telling me I‘m useless, stupid, biased and incompetent”.
“(The bullying) is non-stop, personal, often vile, frequently unhinged and regularly based on fabrications,” she wrote.
An ABC spokeswoman said the online abuse had played no role in Ms Sales’ latest choice.
“The relentless and often politically motivated abuse of journalists and others on social media – often women and culturally diverse journalists in particular – is disgusting and unacceptable,” the spokeswoman stated.
“7.30 has 1 million viewers per episode, a small number of whom are on Twitter. Their influence on Leigh’s real-life decisions is zero.”
A two-time Walkley Award winner, Ms Sales joined the ABC in 1995 as a junior reporter in Brisbane earlier than occurring to carry senior roles on the community, together with National Security Correspondent.
From 2001-2005 she was the ABC’s Washington correspondent, overlaying main occasions just like the Iraq conflict and 2004 presidential election.
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