ABC compiled dossier of Crikey columnist Guy Rundle’s abusive messages
Former Crikey columnist Guy Rundle allegedly repeatedly targeted ABC Radio National and several of its hosts in his columns and messages, documents show.
Allegedly rude and abusive messages by Crikey columnist Guy Rundle, targeting a suite of ABC presenters and guests, was handed to Private Media bosses Eric Beecher and Will Hayward after an on-air reveal of his latest missive, a Freedom of Information request shows.
Documents released to The Australian reveal ABC management was alarmed Rundle, who was sacked from his columnist role at Crikey on October 18, had been allegedly targeting a number of journalists and presenters for months.
The documents show the message from ABC managing director David Anderson, sent to Hayward and Beecher, contained a number of attached screenshots of Rundle’s messages.
However, the ABC has declined to release the concerning messages, on the basis they constitute program content.
Anderson told the Private Media bosses Rundle had “intended to cause harm and offence and, in our view, amount to toxic and abusive behaviour”.
The message to the Private media chief executive, who oversees Crikey which extensively published the controversial columnist for many years, came after ABC Radio National Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas noted his latest missive, in which Rundle said “every grope is now a sexual assault”.
This came after Karvelas had interviewed Queensland Sexual Assault Network boss Angela Lynch, with Rundle branding the segment “weak”.
Documents show Anderson was concerned Rundle had been making similar disparaging comments to other ABC presenters including Steve Cannane and David Speers and guest Samantha Maiden, news.com.au political editor.
“Our program producers are also subjected to these messages, which have caused concern and distress,” Anderson told Hayward.
“Mr Rundle’s campaign of comments – which appear on the presenter’s screen while they are delivering a live broadcast – is unacceptable.”
“Our presenters are regularly subjected to online abuse and to see such behaviour from another senior journalist at a publication such as Crikey is inexcusable.”
In a note published on Crikey six days after Anderson’s message, Hayward noted Rundle’s messages to Karvelas.
Hayward, who declined to comment, did not note the other ABC presenters targeted by Rundle, but told readers his comments were “one of many sent to the program over a period of months”.
ABC sources indicated Rundle was a regular listener of programs, often texting in to vent his opinions.
Sources noted upgrades to ABC’s text-line in recent years had allowed the broadcaster to monitor the texts and calls it receives, with Rundle’s messages flagged by the broadcaster’s system.
Rundle, a popular columnist for Crikey subscribers, had targeted ABC RN and Anderson, warning in an August column the network was a “sinking vessel” that lacked a “place at the centre of the national culture”.
In particular Rundle reserved criticism for RN Breakfast, noting the show under Karvelas “has gone from what feels like a well-rounded show, in its textures and interests, to a scratchy insistent version of student radio 1979”.
Rundle declined to comment, when contacted by The Australian, but in a statement to “New Left” media site Arena he only acknowledged his text to Karvelas’ program.
“I apologise for creating an entirely false impression that sexual assault is a trivial matter,” he said.
Rundle has since stepped aside from co-editorship of Arena.
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