Stan Grant to stand down as Q+A host following racial abuse
ABC host takes break from moderating role following racial and threatening abuse.
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ABC host Stan Grant will stand down from Q+A following ongoing criticism and abuse, particularly around his appearance on ABC Coronation coverage.
In a statement, ABC Director News Justin Stevens, said, “Over many months, but particularly in recent days, Stan Grant has been subject to grotesque racist abuse, including threats to his safety. This has become particularly virulent since he appeared as part of the ABC’s Coronation coverage.
“It is abhorrent and unacceptable.
“Stan personally addresses this issue in a column published today.”
Grant wrote,”On social media my family and I are regularly racially mocked or abused. This is not new. Barely a week goes by when I am not racially targeted. My wife is targeted with abuse for being married to a Wiradjuri man.
“I don’t even read it, yet I can’t escape it. People stop me in the street to tell me how vile it is. They tell me how sorry they are. Although I try to shield myself from it, the fact it is out there poisons the air I breathe.”
He continued, “I am not beyond criticism. I occupy a privileged and prominent place in the media — I should be critiqued. And I am not thin skinned. Aboriginal people learn to tough it out. That’s the price of survival.”
Grant was made permanent host of Q+A in July 2022 following a short period of rotating hosts, with Virginia Trioli and David Speers.
Since Tony Jones departure in 2019 Grant has attracted headlines including asking an audience member to leave in March last year.
Grant recently openly criticised a lack of diversity by ABC in its recent NSW Election night coverage, saying “There is no excuse for what I saw on air last night. None. I have worked at organisations around the world and nowhere would what we presented last night be tolerated.”
Stevens then said he welcomed constructive discussion whilst defending the “editorially strong and well presented” panel.
Grant today wrote that, “no one at the ABC — whose producers invited me onto their coronation coverage as a guest — has uttered one word of public support. Not one ABC executive has publicly refuted the lies written or spoken about me. I don’t hold any individual responsible; this is an institutional failure.
“I value the friendship of ABC Director of News, Justin Stevens. He has been a support and a comfort. He is trying to change an organisation that has its own legacy of racism. But he knows I am disappointed. I am dispirited.
“I was not the producer nor presenter of the coronation broadcast yet every newspaper article accusing the ABC of bias has carried my image. I am writing this because I will not have people depict me as a person of hate.”
Stevens said today, “Stan is one of Australia’s best and most respected journalists and broadcasters. The ABC stands by him and condemns the attacks directed towards him,
“The ABC has and will continue to refer any threats to police. Already this year the ABC has lodged a detailed complaint with Twitter over the racist abuse of Stan being published on its platform.
“Stan Grant was one of a range of panelists who appeared during the 6 May Coronation coverage at the invitation of the ABC. He was not the instigator of the program. He was asked to participate as a Wiradjuri man to discuss his own family’s experience and the role of the monarchy in Australia in the context of Indigenous history.
“It is part of the ABC’s role to facilitate such important conversations, however confronting and uncomfortable, and to reflect the diversity of perspectives.
“The panel discussion in which he participated aired early as one segment in around eight hours of live Coronation coverage. The timing of this important discussion in the lead-up to the event has resulted in a strong response from some viewers. This is regrettable. The ABC Ombudsman will investigate editorial complaints about the coverage, according to the customary process.
“The responsibility for the coverage lies with ABC News management, not with Stan Grant. Yet it is he who has borne the brunt of a tirade of criticism, particularly in the usual sections of the media that target the ABC. Reporting on his contribution to the panel discussion has been unfair, inaccurate and irresponsible. It has contributed to fuelling horrendous personal and racial abuse.
“Any complaints, criticism – or vitriol – regarding the coverage should be directed to me, not to him.
“Yindyamalgirridyu mayinyguwal. In Wiradjuri that means I will respect other people.”
Grant will stand down as host after Monday’s show. ABC is yet to indicate when he will return.
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40 Responses
Just an awful outcome and I can’t help but feel that it’s going to be regarded as a win for the “I’m not racist but…” crowd. Stan is an impeccable journalistic voice and facilitator. I hope this is just a temporary set-back.
This is really an unfortunate and an indictment of where we are societally with the basic discourse that such horrible and impactful behaviour leads to major talent retreating from high profile roles. I have always liked Stan, although I have not particularly valued the partisan way he (and many others have conducted themselves in a moderator role). Having worked in the news division and infotainment at the ABC I have been unimpressed with the evolving lean that resembles the other polarity on Sky News. There has been a blurring on being a presenter with that of another editorial voice that a guest or panelist would have. The Drum, Q&A, News Breakfast: shows I consume and enjoy.
The Coronation has been well covered in terms of reaction but it seems that was the straw that broke the proverbial. I hope Stan resurfaces on something, as he is a talented and soulful presenter and journalist. From what I’m seeing on both ABC’s breakfast bottom of frame; he won’t return to Q&A.
Hello Jenny Brockie!! Perfect time to crowbar her in!
shoehorn, or gently guide her in? 🙂 I agree. Jenny is brilliant, but i don’t think she would do it.
People can be so cruel. This breaks my heart. 💔 I think Stan is an exceptional presenter.
My personal opinion of Stan Grant has been the fact he has agenda and an axe to grind and he’s used Q+A at times and the Coronation as his own platform to air those grievances. Some of which I personally do not agree with. If people are in the public eye then obviously there will be fallout if people don’t like or agree with what is being said. But I do no condone anyone abusing, threatening, being spiteful or vindictive towards anyone in the public eye (or privately either) on social media platforms. I just find him to be rude, lack patience and manners, talking over the top of the guest or cutting them off when they are there as guests on the show and that’s just some of the reasons why I stopped watching. Maybe time away might help him to realise the show is not the place for his particular grievances or personal platform either.
Criticism about the direction of Q&A becoming unbalanced isn’t racism. The ratings don’t lie and neither does the criticism from the Coronation coverage. I wish Stan Grant well and hope he finds solace in what ever he’s searching for during this time, which wasn’t connecting with Australian viewers.
Robert if you read the story, Stan himself says, “I am not beyond criticism. I occupy a privileged and prominent place in the media — I should be critiqued.” ABC has specifically referred to “grotesque racist abuse, including threats to his safety.” Are you saying the latter is ok?
He did a great job with China Tonight. Can he go back there?
They can “rest” Q&A for a while we have Planet America on weekly for an hour to watch the shitshow US election over the next 18 months 🍿
Bring Q&A back after that to lead in to our election. It’s going to cop hate no matter what ABC do in the short term. Rest it!
I’ll never understand how what a group of faceless strangers says really matters to someone
What I have learnt from Social Media is that you get more attention with a negative comment than you do with a positive one
The racism is unacceptable but there has been episodes in my opinion were very biased.
Maybe Q&A itself needs to disappear for a while, and ABC can have a think about what kind of show they want in the future. Maybe a break from Q&A wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Agree. It’s time to pause, reflect and listen to viewers. Come back in 2024 with a balanced panel and views and a host who listens to debate not expresses personal views and takes over.
That’s absolutely awful. Whether you like Stan Grant or not, no-one deserves this abuse. Typing behind a keyboard or a phone doesn’t excuse you from being a decent human being.
Wishing Stan and his family well and I hope he returns soon.
Stan, criticism of your support for Australia’s black sovereignty movement is not racism. This is fantasic news! Q+A will be more watchable now! The ratings may even go up!
I agree with Joe Hilderbrand taking over as Host. He is the perfect independent for the independent broadcaster!
With respect you are not on the receiving end of the vitriol and have not seen the wording he is subjected to on a daily basis. He has every right to call it has he sees it.
Social media being so new means the laws surrounding it have yet to catch up.
People making public derogatory, racist, defamatory and hate speech comments on social media or on any other electronic public form of communication are effectively “publishing” their own thoughts and ideas. As such they should be held accountable the same as a journalist or media organisation would be if they did the same.
When Stan hosted “Today Tonight” (my first introduction to him) he was very quiet and subdued.
I thought at the time that it may have been nerves.
Was Stan advised at the time to simply read the autocue and withhold comments?
Or has his confidence grown over the years?
Stan did work for CNN International as their senior correspondent in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Beijing, so he is highly experienced and hopefully will continue on our screens.
The ABC do have a propensity to want to make the news headlines rather than just report them. Stan Grant has rightly developed a reputation for his intelligent and considered political journalism and was probably underused by the ABC until recently. In my opinion with The Voice referendum ‘yes’ campaign being proactively supported by the ABC the UK’s Coronation was just an opportunity ripe for exploitation, but on this occasion the ABC’s poor editorial decision making did not do the ABC’s ‘yes’ campaign any favours.
Every television personality is subjected to abuse on social media, but you’re more likely to cop it if your Indigenous, a woman, LGBTIQA+ or an ethnic/other minority. Stan is not alone and it’s a problem media organisations and societies have been grappling with for yonks. I believe the only way to stop it is to expose it and show it but some consider that victim blaming and making it the victims problem to solve. Retweet the hate, share the posts and most people will come out in support/be shamed into stopping doing it. The whole issue has been hopelessly handled by the ABC but also the media organisations as whole over many years.
As much as I agree with you ryan, you have to concede that making oneself into a popular celebrity or media personality will expose you to the darker side of society as well as create the admirers. It is difficult for any
media organisation to completely isolate these highly publicised or self promoted celebrities from determined troll antagonists.
One word. Good.
Joe Hilderbrand would be a good host. He is neither left or right wing but in the middle.
So he doesn’t read social meda yet has been subject to a ‘barrage’ of abuse?
He complains he was the focus of the negative criticism of the ABC’s coronation coverage and assumes that as racisim? How about simply viewers did not like nor appreciate his specific comments?
Simialrly, viewers have turned off his use of Q&A as a personal platform, the program has been dying a slow death for years as casual watchers get sick of the same leftist agendas being pushed each week – and that’s coming from a hardcore leftist ABC viewership base who have failed to stop its decline.
Really, the ABC’s supposed lack of support probably tells a story – they will be happy for him to be off their screens.
I think the wrong person stepped down. Justin Steven’s has an obvious problem with bad decisions. From the ‘white supremacy’ story to not reporting on Lidia Thorpe, it’s Steven’s that should go for overseeing the slide of the ABC’s credibility due to biased journalism.
I said myself through the gay marriage plebiscite, this was a judgement of me as an individual, who i am as a human. I get where he is coming from on this level and hope this debate doesn’t have significant lasting impacts on those it actually impacts. i however fear it will.
Right there with you, as someone in the same position during the plebiscite. It’s hard to articulate to others how awful that felt and I really hope our First Nations Australians, whether they’re for the Voice or against it, don’t suffer any more than they already have because of this.
My heart goes out to Stan Grant and his family. This is horrible to read. We are all humans, and no-one should be torn down like this over a difference of opinion, and have old wounds opened up. I really hope he finds peace and calm in his time away from the public eye.
That’s now two experienced journalist who have removed themselves from this program because of abuse (Hamish MacDonald being the other). This coupled with what Lisa Miller has copped shows that there is a clear problem, especially with the public broadcaster. Do we believe these presenters are more of a target because they are on the ABC? It really is sad when we see such quality leaving our screens because of a pathetic minority of people.
ABC will see the Q and A ratings improve.
Whilst vilifaction is never an option and should be thoroughly condemned – and doing it anonymously via social media is simple cowardice – in my opinion, whether by design or not, Stan Grant did seem to try and steer all conversations on to the subject and seemed to want to make Q & A in particular his own platform.
To add then, I’d love to see John Barron do Q&A. He is exceptional.