ABC shuts down Twitter accounts of Insiders, ABC Politics, News Breakfast

The ABC is shutting the Twitter accounts of three of its news programs, with the move angering many of its social media followers.

Lisa Millar and Michael Rowland from News Breakfast.

The ABC is closing the Twitter accounts of three of its most popular news programs, with the move angering many of its followers on social media who fear the decision will make it more difficult for the public to engage with the taxpayer-funded broadcaster.

The Sunday morning political chat show, Insiders, will close its Twitter account — which has 146,000 followers — after this weekend’s program goes to air; the ABC Politics account, with 45,000 followers, will also disappear on Sunday; while News Breakfast, the weekday show hosted by Lisa Millar and Michael Rowland, will end its Twitter presence on Monday.

All three programs will continue to maintain active Facebook pages.

In a statement on Wednesday, an ABC spokeswoman said: “We’re closing some of the ABC News program accounts and consolidating our activity in our main Twitter account, @abcnews, which has by far the most activity, followers and engagement with audiences.

“This is a better use of resources while still serving audiences on this platform.”

The Australian asked the ABC if “resourcing” was the only reason behind the closure of the Twitter accounts, but did not receive a response.

The ABC News Twitter account has 2.1 million followers.

The ABC’s second most popular Twitter account (Q+A) has 400,000 followers, and will also remain active.

The announcement of the account closures drew hundreds of negative comments from Twitter users.

“How does a program, that purports to cover the news and politics from the perspective of ‘insiders’ decide that the social media platform where politics is most discussed is not a place it should have a presence? And at a time where it’s viewership is declining?” said one user.

A follower of the News Breakfast Twitter account posted: “Can you at least give your viewers/readership a reason why you’re doing this? I’m not a Facebook user that often, and I prefer to get all my news from Twitter. I don’t want to say I’m sceptical, but your lack of justification makes me believe that something’s truly amiss.”

But another Twitter user said the ABC’s move was “understandable”.

“The social media team must be run off their feet having to deal with the hate and utter rudeness directed (at) the ABC and its staff,” the post read.

ABC management has struggled to deal with the organisation’s social media policy in recent years, with instances of staff posting defamatory and offensive material bringing the broadcaster into disrepute.

At Senate Estimates on Tuesday, ABC managing director David Anderson said the organisation constantly reviews its social media guidelines for staff.

Meanwhile, the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council has welcomed the revelation that the ABC has terminated the employment of its veteran Jerusalem-based producer Fouad Abu Gosh for breaching the company’s social media guidelines.

Last year, Abu Gosh posted a series of anti-Semitic tweets before deleting his social media accounts.

Some of his posts compared Israeli police to Nazis, and warned of a Zionist conspiracy to take over the entire Middle East.

Mr Anderson told the Senate hearing on Tuesday that Abu Gosh’s employment with the ABC was terminated in December, following an investigation into the matter.

On Wednesday, AIJAC executive-director Colin Rubenstein said Abu Gosh’s social media posts were “beyond the pale”.

“The outcome also shows that the ABC understands there are red lines that its journalists must not cross if they want to continue working for the public broadcaster,” Dr Rubenstein said.