ABC boss David Anderson said Tom Joyner’s intention was ’not to cause harm’

The ABC review into Tom Joyner says he didn’t intend to cause harm when he said in a WhatsApp group that claims of babies in Israel being beheaded by Hamas were ‘bullsh..’.

ABC journalist Tom Joyner. Picture: X

ABC managing director David Anderson says Middle Eastern correspondent Tom Joyner’s ­“intention was not to cause harm” when he commented in a WhatsApp group that claims of babies in Israel being beheaded by Hamas terrorists were “bullshit”.

Joyner has been under investigation by the taxpayer-funded broadcaster since he made the remarks, first revealed in The Australian in October, shortly after the Israel-Gaza conflict erupted. He has not reported from the Middle East since October.

In correspondence sent to Liberal senator Hollie Hughes last week and seen by The Australian, Mr Anderson said he was satisfied with the ABC’s review.

“I am satisfied that Mr Joyner is aware of the importance of these matters, and that his intention was not to cause harm,” Mr Anderson wrote on December 12.

He said the matter had been reviewed to see if it breached the ABC’s personal social media guidelines and “action taken” but would not disclose “information on individual staffing matters due to reasonable expectations of privacy and confidentiality.”

Under the guidelines staff must “protect the ABC’s reputation, independence, impartiality and integrity”.

The WhatsApp group to which Joyner posted the remarks included more than 600 journalists reporting on the conflict. His comments were condemned by other members of the group.

ABC staff including Riley Stuart, Middle East correspondent Tom Joyner and journalist Lauren Day. Picture: Instagram.

Israel later confirmed the ­reports of babies being burnt and decapitated in Hamas’s assault on the Kfar Aza kibbutz and photographs were shown to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Senator Hughes said the ABC had failed to take sufficient action when staff breached social media guidelines.

“Is it any wonder that we see an extraordinary number of ­social media breaches from ABC staff when there appears that there are never any consequences,” she said.

“Clearly some staff feel they can disregard the charter their employer has a duty to the Australian taxpayer to uphold and when there are reviews there are no consequences.”

At senate estimates in October, Mr Anderson said he was “sorry” that the situation with Joyner occurred and admitted “that was then distressing to other people as well”.

He added: “It shouldn’t have happened.”

Joyner was subsequently ­rotated out of Israel, which Mr Anderson said in his letter to Senator Hughes was “part of the ABC’s usual practice in covering war zones.”

In recent weeks Joyner has been posting photos on his Instagram account from the West Bank but no stories from him have been published on the ABC’s website.