Australia’s Federal Court has slammed ABC with heavy penalties after ruling Antoinette Lattouf’s dismissal over a Gaza post was unfair, exposing lobbyist pressure and sparking a national debate on media freedom and diversity.
Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC, has been ordered to pay A$150,000 in penalties for unfairly dismissing radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf over a social media post about the war in Gaza. Lattouf, a fill-in host on ABC Radio Sydney, was removed from the air in December 2023 after just three shifts. The Federal Court found that the decision was influenced by lobbying from pro-Israel groups and that Lattouf’s political views played no role in her breach of policy.
Justice Darryl Rangiah described the extra payment as “substantial” and necessary to ensure the ABC learned its lesson. Lattouf had already been awarded A$70,000 in damages. The broadcaster publicly apologised, acknowledging it had failed both its staff and audiences.
The court found that Lattouf had not been explicitly instructed to refrain from commenting on the war on social media. While her Instagram post, which shared a Human Rights Watch report alleging Israel had used starvation as a tool of war, was “ill-advised,” her firing occurred without a proper opportunity to respond or defend herself. Justice Rangiah described the dismissal as part of an “orchestrated” campaign by lobbyists and said the ABC management sacrificed her to mitigate public criticism.
The case sparked public outrage in Australia and raised questions over ABC’s independence and treatment of culturally diverse staff. Lattouf, who has been active in media for years and is known for her advocacy on racism, discrimination, and mental health, suffered “very significant consequences” as a result of her abrupt dismissal. Justice Rangiah ordered that the penalty be paid within 28 days, stressing that such conduct must not be tolerated and that penalties should not be viewed as an acceptable cost of appeasing lobby groups.
