First non-white Australian reporter Helene Chung lashes ABC

A former TV pioneer has revealed the horrific things ABC management said to her about her race and her appearance.

The first non-white Australian television reporter has lambasted the public broadcaster for allowing too many ABC reporters to express their opinion rather than present news.

Helene Chung, who worked at the ABC from 1968-1997, told The Australian she was “constantly amazed” by the fact that so many reporters now give their own opinions.

“And now you know exactly where everyone stands at the ABC and that should not be,” she said.

“And that has led to a public backlash, and mind you, the public backlash of this sort of scale was not possible before (when) we did not have social media.”

Helene Chung, former ABC reporter and China correspondent.

Chung said the journalistic rules, including “do not make yourself the story” and never use the word “I” were long gone.

Her comments came after former Q&A host Stan Grant decided to step back from the network citing ongoing racial abuse and threats from members of the public, which escalated wildly after the ABC’s coverage of King Charles III’s coronation.

The coverage was widely criticised and Grant was bombarded with horrific racial abuse. A man in his 40s is due in court later this month charged over online threats allegedly made to the esteemed journalist.

Chung praised Grant as an “outstanding journalist” with “admirable skills, qualities, education” and said he was put in a difficult position by the ABC by being on a panel of the King’s coronation coverage earlier this month, which sparked the backlash against him.

Disturbingly, she said she experienced overt racism at the ABC when she was called into an boss’ office and told that she shouldn’t work in television.

“I was unsuited to television, because of my Asian appearance. And he specially said, ‘You should avoid wearing makeup because it accentuates your Asian eyes.’”

Chung said three managers were aware of the incident but she was never offered an apology.

In 1979, however, the then ABC general manager acknowledged the journalist had “cause to be concerned” by the comments, which did not adhere to policy.

Chung’s comments came after Grant penned a tortured article for his employer’s website, announcing his decision to “walk away” after six years with the company.

He wrote that ongoing racism was to blame for his decision and the unwillingness of those in his professional network to defend them.

“This year the stakes are higher,” he wrote. “There is a referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament and I am not alone in feeling judged.

“This is an Australian judgment on us. Such is politics.”

Journalist, author and presenter, Stan Grant. Picture: Jane Dempster/The Australian

“But racism is a crime. Racism is violence. And I have had enough.”

ABC staff have rallied around Grant.

On Monday, dozens of employees gathered in front of the broadcaster’s Sydney headquarters at Ultimo, outside Parliament House at Canberra and outside the Melbourne headquarters to express solidarity with him.

Yesterday, police charged a 41-year-old man with making online threats towards Grant just hours after the journalist and his wife were spotted attending a Sydney police station to file a complaint.

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Originally published as First non-white Australian reporter Helene Chung lashes ABC