Contributed by Jim Hayes

Victory before the Federal Court for radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf is her case against the ABC for wrongful dismissal, is great news for her. It also has far greater importance. It exposes how far down the road of racial profiling and related victimisation top management has gone, and the influence of the Zionist lobby on media.

This is a result of transforming what is in name a public broadcaster, but in practice under the control of a Board and management of the private corporate world. Through this, the ABC is seen as complicit in whitewashing the Palestinian holocaust and promoting the voice of Benyamin Netanyahu and news generated by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) propaganda units.

Antoinette Lattouf Wins Unlawful Termination Case Against ABC

Video from The Project

Antoinette was sacked because she expressed sympathy for the Palestinians suffering in Gaza. The excuse given for the sacking was that it acted lawfully because it could reduce hours of work under the employment contract. Justice Rangiah found otherwise.

The ABC management soured its reputation when it had earlier defended against accusations of racism by denying the existence of “a Lebanese, Arab or Middle Eastern race” is proved. Antoinette Lattouf is of Lebanese heritage. The comment caused consternation within these communities and damaged the ABC name.

This is part of a broader trend. The ABC has become a worse place to work for. Morale is low and conflict between staff and management rife. Loss of jobs is ongoing, and most importantly, control over content is toxic. The latest part of this has been the axing of the network’s most popular current affairs programs. Australian content has been diminished to near extinction.

Closely tied to this is increasing commercialisation, The ABC is becoming increasingly dependent on the generation of advertising revenue and the content it shows must line up to the those who pay for the service.

Lattouf’s victory in the court is important because it brings attention to the bigger problem of the limits of media in Australia. It is among the most monopolised in the world and increasingly censors the breadth of information and news permitted to Australians. The blame is often put at the feet of Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp. The ABC is increasingly becoming a part of the same problem.

There is realy little freedom of the press. Investigative journalism is almost dead, even at the ABC. Syndication is in. News stories are often manufactured by what are often United States based advertising and public relations companies. Hollywood, Disneyland, and Washington’s hacks rule. There are few real jobs for journalists, and to get one, often means knowing what you are supposed to say.

As well as welcoming Antoinette Lattouf’s victory, we should all be demanding freedom of the press through legislative changes that promote and protect diversity and the voice of the broad Australian community.