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Leigh Sales hits back at “disgusting, sexist and relentless abuse” online

As the campaign draws to a close, 7:30 host retweets some of her harshest critics.

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Who would be a political interviewer?

If you’re tough you’re “biased,” if you’re soft you’re obviously not up to the job.

7:30 host Leigh Sales has had more than her fair share of opinions from viewers. But with social media she has to have a pretty thick skin (as do most TV presenters).

To her 235,000 Twitter followers today she wrote, “Let me call out the river of disgusting, sexist and relentless abuse I’ve on Twitter during this campaign with a handful of examples:”

“I’d rather watch dog turd turn white than watch @abc730 and @leighsales – disgraceful “journalism”.” one wrote.

“Don’t want to sound rude but maybe she is sleeping with an insider?” another suggested.

Another featured a humiliating graphic:

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Others went even further.

In 2013 she told TV Tonight having a popular Twitter account was a double-edged sword.

“It’s a bit frustrating sometimes because I often do political interviews, and you come off and Twitter is full of vitriol. If you’ve done an interview with Julia Gillard they’re smashing you for going hard, whereas when you give exactly the same treatment to Tony Abbott you’re their hero,” she said.

“It’s quite disheartening, this polarised, vicious tribal nature of some of the politics on Twitter.

“If you’re happy to see me give Tony Abbott a hard time, or Chris Bowen a hard time then that’s the nature of my job.

“Whoever comes to sit opposite me, I’m going to try and find the weak points in their argument and try to put to them criticisms that the other side makes in the aim of getting them to defend their position. So basically I’m pushing the person opposite me as hard as I can to defend where they’re coming from, and that’s how I approach every single interview with a politician whether it’s left, right, green, whatever.”

Tomorrow night Sales takes centrestage in ABC’s election coverage following the retirement of Kerry O’Brien.

5 Responses

  1. There is no excuse whatsoever for the abuse she has received via social media.
    IMO she has been flat out rude to Shorten on occasion but he has handled it admirably and has remained unflustered.

  2. ABC journalists have, for as long i can remember, 30 years +, been accused of bias. That is one perception, but to sexualise ans degrade Leigh to criticise her interviews is just plain wrong. Leigh is a very skilled and compelling interviewer. Like Kerrie O’Brien before her, she can turn her hand from politics to the arts and everything in between with her myriad of guests. I don’t recall O’Brien been given that form of nasty and offensive treatment. The fact that she inherently knows how to deal with the flirty style of Turnbull or the combat style of Morrison or vagueness of Shorten speaks to her prowess.

  3. I wouldn’t care if she treated both leaders the same, but her aggressive attitude towards Shorten compared to the fluffy fireside conversations she has with Turnbull explains why people are so frustrated. 7.30 used to be one of my favourite shows, but Leigh Sales has forced me to turn off regularly.

    She is no longer a great interviewer, and I have been watching her since her time with Lateline. I prefer to read my political commentary and news on The Guardian site, and let 7.30 drift across to Murdoch.

    1. I must say that I have often backed ABC news/caff and 7:30 when people who have never watched any of it accuse it of being left wing, and that included Leigh Sales.

      I remember her first I/V with Turnbull after he became PM and it was all very cosy. As it was their first one under those circumstances, I was prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt. However, she has continued to appear to be softer with him than any other minister (from either side). So she doesn’t appear to exhibit any bias in favour of the Coalition, just Turnbull!

      It’s a bit disconcerting but she doesn’t deserve the sort of vile invective that she regularly cops from misogynist neanderthals on social media.

  4. I think Leigh is a very good interviewer, and during this election campaign has shown no bias towards either side. As a Labor voter, I admit I was a little bit annoyed that she went so tough on Bill Shorten, but I understand that she is just doing her job.

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