Australia: 5 Women Journalists Subjected to Smear Campaigns and Slander by Murdoch’s Media
Antoinette Lattouf, Patricia Karvelas, Lauren Dubois, Clementine Ford, and Jan Fran smeared by Australia’s media conglomerate News Corp
Location: Australia
Date: December 20, 2023
Following malicious media attacks by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp media outlets since signing a letter in support of ethical reporting of conflict in Gaza, Antoinette Lattouf has been fired from ABC, and Nova Podcasts axed Clementine Ford’s award-winning podcast. At least three other journalists have faced targeted accusations and smear campaigns from Murdoch’s media, including Patricia Karvelas, Lauren Dubois, and Jan Fran. All reported negative impacts on their abilities to do their jobs. The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom is alarmed by the attempts to discredit the journalists and urges media outlets to maintain ethical journalistic standards and not resort to smear campaigns against those who do not follow a particular narrative while reporting on the conflict.
Critics argue that Australian mainstream media, including numerous outlets owned by Murdoch's News Corp, exhibits a pro-Israel bias in its coverage of the Gaza conflict. In response to the perceived bias, over 270 Australian journalists signed a public letter calling for media organizations to adhere to ethical standards when reporting on the war. The journalists called for adequate coverage of credible allegations of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid.
Five women journalists who have criticized the Australian press’ coverage or have reported on the conflict reveal that they have been subjected to smear campaigns, misleading reports, and slander by news outlets owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Antoinette Lattouf
“It seems like an orchestrated attempt to bully critical thinking and fact-checking out of the craft of journalism,” prominent broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf told Women’s Agenda following slanderous comments about her in the Herald Sun, and misleading claims made about her reporting on Sky News. Both outlets are owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.
The Herald Sun accused social media influencers, including journalists, of spreading anti-Israel and pro-Palestine messages. Lattouf says she is seeking advice from defamation lawyers after being labeled a "useful idiot for jihadists" in the article.
“It seems like an orchestrated attempt to bully critical thinking and fact-checking out of the craft of journalism”
Lattouf collaborated with Crikey to investigate a viral video from a pro-Palestine rally near the Sydney Opera House. The video showed protestors chanting “Gas the Jews” after a Hamas attack on Israel. However, her investigation revealed that police and fact-checkers have yet to verify the occurrence of these chants. Lattouf highlighted in her article and Instagram reel that a small group chanting “F*ck the Jews” was removed from the protest. News Corp’s Sharri Markson claimed, contrary to the investigation, that Lattouf and "many on the left" deny any anti-Semitic chants. Lattouf responded to Sky News' claims in a video on Instagram over the weekend.
“No tactic is off the table from reporting blatant lies about us, mischaracterizations, and pressuring employers”
“I will continue to report and comment without fear or favor, especially when so many innocent lives are at stake, and there’s so much hate and division in Australia,” says Lattouf.
On December 20, Lattouf shared that ABC had terminated her contract. She says she is “considering her legal options.”
Patricia Karvelas
“Another Murdoch hit piece against me today. It’s now so common I can set an alarm to it. There are so many important stories in this country, but that’s not their business model,” wrote ABC Radio National Breakfast presenter Patricia Karvelas in response to an article about her in News Corp-owned The Australian.
Karvelas, a routine target of smear campaigns, took to Instagram to refute The Australian’s claims about her apparent bias regarding the Gaza conflict. News Corp’s The Australian wrote that Karvelas “appears to support the Albanese government’s ceasefire position” after engaging in a discussion on the call for a ceasefire with journalist Samantha Maiden. The article also said Karvelas had joined “the chorus of leftists” in its views on the viral video that Lattouf investigated for Crikey outlet.
“Women who don’t play by the rules will continue to be targeted, but I, for one, will not allow myself to be intimidated by people who have such a clear agenda”
Karvelas, who has faced relentless harassment online, said she has witnessed many colleagues in the media industry being targeted by mainstream media. Whereas she once felt that ignoring false stories was the most effective strategy, she now believes “calling it out is the only option.”
“Women who don’t play by the rules will continue to be targeted, but I, for one, will not allow myself to be intimidated by people who have such a clear agenda,” wrote Karvelas.
Clementine Ford
Clementine Ford, a writer, public speaker, advocate, and feminist, has consistently expressed her views on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and criticized the way mainstream media covers the conflict. As a result, Ford has been the subject of articles making misleading claims about her stance, labeling her an antisemite for her pro-Palestinian stance.
“There’s a highly defamatory petition being circulated that outright labels me an antisemite. People are tearing the covers off my books in department stores. It’s insanity,” Ford says.
Ford told The Australian that any suggestion she is anti-Semitic is “ludicrous.” “I am the granddaughter of a Lithuanian concentration camp survivor whose father was shot and killed by German soldiers and who lost her whole family in WWII. In opposing the indiscriminate slaughter of thousands, I not only honor her memory but also stand alongside countless Jewish activists and leaders who have fought for decades for Palestinian liberation,” the author explains. “Anti-Semitism is real, and we should all oppose it vigorously,” Ford added.
The writer revealed the personal toll of the attacks, including severe online trolling and financial losses: "I’ve lost one major contract and had it explicitly outlined to me that it’s because my focus on Palestine is ‘risky’ for their business."
According to Ford, the assaults on journalists and women within the media sector, including her own experiences, serve as a distinct illustration of the Murdoch media's deliberate efforts to maintain "the establishment and structural power."
“I’ve lost one major contract and had it explicitly outlined to me that it’s because my focus on Palestine is ‘risky’ for their business”
On December 19, Ford shared that Nova Podcasts canceled her award-winning podcast Dear Clementine, insinuating it was due to speaking out about Palestine.
Lauren Dubois
Former political journalist and current influencer Lauren Dubois also noted financial repercussions and backlash for challenging the dominant mainstream media narrative in Australia with regard to the Gaza conflict. “Job opportunities have dried up and my income has been more than halved in the last couple of months,” she claims.
@thelaurendubois Not real comments. The real ones were worse. #womenoftiktok ♬ Just A Girl - No Doubt
“I’ve had people approaching my publisher as well as stockists of my book, asking them to cut ties with me”
Dubois was also mentioned in the Herald Sun’s article that accused influencers and journalists of spreading anti-Israel and pro-Palestine messages.
“I’ve had people approaching my publisher as well as stockists of my book, asking them to cut ties with me. I’ve had people contacting brands I’ve worked with to get them to cancel contracts.”
Jan Fran
Jan Fran, a key figure in the open letter signed by journalists calling for better media coverage of the Gaza conflict, accused The Daily Mail of misquoting her and instigating online trolling. Last month, she wrote a 600-word essay that played a significant role in rallying journalists in Australia to sign the open letter to media outlets.
“This is what The Daily Mail does – they steal people’s work, they misquote it, they put it out to their following, and then those people get trolled for things they didn’t say”
On November 5, The Daily Mail covered Fran's essay, characterizing her as having "lashed out" at the media industry.
In a video on Instagram, Fran responded, describing a portion of The Daily Mail article. "There’s a bit in the body of the piece where they say, ‘Fran took aim at the journalism industry, labeling it a malevolent, biased, agenda-driven institution controlled by lobby groups.’ No, I f_ing didn’t. What I said was I don’t blame the people who think that of the media industry. The whole point of my piece was the opposite – that often, it is not, that journalists act righteously. They believe that they’re doing a good thing. See, this is what The Daily Mail does – they steal people’s work, they misquote it, they put it out to their following, and then those people get trolled for things they didn’t say."
Murdoch’s Media Empire in Australia
Since the escalation of conflict in the Middle East following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, Western media outlets have been struggling to report on the conflict with objectivity and sensitivity. CFWIJ has documented numerous cases of journalists facing backlash from their employers and online trolls for expressing their views or reporting on the conflict. This incident in Australia is made even more troubling by the claims of the journalists that the media owned by Murdoch is targeting them.
Murdoch’s News Corp owns a majority of Australia's metropolitan print mastheads, popular news websites, radio interests, and a majority share in the Foxtel news network. Rupert Murdoch's impact on the Australian media landscape is extensive, playing a pivotal role in shaping public opinion, influencing political decisions, and contributing to ongoing debates on social and political issues. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd went so far as to label Murdoch's control over the industry as a "cancer on democracy.”
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom denounces the targeted assaults on journalists reporting on the Gaza conflict and raises mounting concerns about media bias and the pervasive influence of Murdoch's News Corp. We stand in solidarity with these women and all journalists who face such reprehensible tactics. The targeted attacks and professional repercussions faced by these journalists are not only detrimental to their individual careers but also pose a serious threat to the principles of free press and ethical journalism. We urge a critical examination of the power dynamics and influence wielded by entities like News Corp in shaping public discourse in Australia. Media outlets must uphold ethical standards and resist resorting to smear campaigns. We also call on ABC and Nova Podcasts to critically examine their decisions following the fallout and demand an internal investigation is conducted to examine the flawed processes that led to their dismissal. It is essential for the media to remain a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, ensuring a well-informed public and a vibrant democratic society.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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