Michelle Guthrie’s sacking wasn't a surprise to insiders: she was a ‘dead woman walking’

The brutal departure of Michelle Guthrie didn't come as a surprise to senior ABC insiders.

ABC radio host Jon Faine, left, and Four Corners executive producer Sally Neighbour have welcomed Michelle Guthrie's sacking.

The brutal departure of Michelle Guthrie did not come as a complete surprise to senior ABC insiders who say she had become a “dead woman walking” for at least the past five months.

ABC insiders say since April this year Ms Guthrie had been effectively sidelined by the broadcaster’s chairman Justin Milne over growing concerns about her “corporate cult” leadership style and concerns the “ham fisted” projects she was championing had sent “staff morale through the floor”.

Mr Milne’s public media statement was no less savage. In the statement he said the ABC board had “resolved it was not in the best interests of the ABC for Ms Guthrie to continue to lead the organisation.”

The decision, to search for “fresh leadership’ was in the “interests of our own people and the millions of Australians who engage with ABC content every week.”

In a later interview on ABC TV Mr Milne admitted the need for a better relationship with the government was also one of the reasons she was sacked effective immediately. But Mr Milne insists no one from the government put any pressure on the board to sack her just two-and-a-half years into the job.

“The board felt in the end that her leadership style was not the style that we needed going forward. We needed a different leadership style,” Mr Milne told ABC TV.

Ms Guthrie was kicked out of the job half-way through her five-year term, and Mr Milne said her relationship with the government was a factor. “That is possibly an area that could have been better. I think that is fair to say. That said, I think Michelle tried hard and was involved with government,” he said.

“(But) the government, I must say, has provided no pressure, no opinion, has not been involved in this decision. This is entirely a board decision.”

Ms Guthrie, a former Google executive and media lawyer, has been a controversial figure at the ABC as she managed tighter budgets along with leading expansion into new business areas.

Mr Milne conceded Ms Guthrie had done a “pretty good” job turning the ABC towards its digital future. “She’s got, as they say in the trade, a great Rolodex, she’s a good networker and she’s done very well from that point of view,” he said. Mr Milne said the ABC must now push ahead with its “Jetstream” project, which involves building the digital infrastructure of the future.

Senior ABC staffers say Louise Higgins, the ABC’s chief financial officer, had already taken over Ms Guthrie’s day to day role as CEO months ago as Ms Guthrie spent increasing amounts of time back in Singapore with her husband, restaurateur Darren Farr.

Ms Guthrie was also notably missing from the Budget Estimates Committee hearings in Canberra in May, sending the ABC’s head of editorial, Alan Sunderland, in her place to field a barrage of questions over complaints about ABC bias by the Turnbull Government.

“I was told back in April by someone very close to her that Milne had stopped being an independent chairman and had taken over the executive role,’ one senior ABC journalist told The Australian.

Ms Guthrie says he is “devastated” by her very public sacking and has said there is “no justification” for the board’s actions.

But within an hour of her departure, some ABC journalists were merrily tweeting about her demise.

Sally Neighbour, the executive producer of the broadcaster’s flagship current affairs show, Four Corners, greeted the news with a tweet simply stating: “Excellent decision.’’

Excellent decision https://t.co/Xzo14iRDcM

— Sally Neighbour (@neighbour_s) September 24, 2018

ABC TV newsreader Juanita Phillips said “whoever the next MD is, they need a deep understanding of the history, purpose and importance of an independent public broadcaster, and be ready to fight bare-knuckled to protect it’’.

Whoever the next MD is, they need a deep understanding of the history, purpose and importance of an independent public broadcaster, and be ready to fight bare-knuckled to protect it.

— Juanita Phillips (@Juanita_Phillip) September 24, 2018

ABC radio host Jon Faine slammed Ms Guthrie’s record as an “astonishing fail”. Faine told his listeners this morning after the board annoucement that staff morale had never been so low.

“[She was] given the benefit of the doubt because she was a woman. She was smart and we were excited. But she was only interested in a few parts of the organisation,’’ Faine said. “She wouldn’t advocate for us, which is an astonishing fail. She’s been all but invisible. Every time you tried to get something from her, it was all jargon.”

The Melbourne-based radio broadcaster previously accused Ms Guthrie of allowing the ABC to be “done over” by the Coalition government. “I’ve been here since 1989... and quite frankly I’m sick of getting it ripped apart because of the failure of our managers,” he said earlier this year. “[She] has been remarkably quiet and reluctant to engage in what she herself previously has described as megaphone campaigning.

Former broadcaster, Mike Carlton, admitted he didn’t have a clue why Ms Guthrie was sacked, but conceded it wasn’t a “wicked Murdoch or IPA plot”. More likely, he said, it was “the huge financial black hole that’s opened up at the ABC and some whacky management stunts she’s pulled”.

Privately, veteran ABC journalists say they knew they had been sold a pup right from the start.

Ms Guthrie was initially been trumpeted as a senior management executive at Google who bought with her the kind of visionary digital expertise needed for the ABC to remain relevant to a younger audience.

But ABC journalists told The Australian it quickly became apparent she was completely out of her depth. Her digital expertise was superficial, her lack of understanding of journalism was “astounding”, and she appeared unprepared to step up to the challenge of managing a public broadcaster.

“There was total bewilderment over at Google when Guthrie got the job,” says one ABC insider. “She had gone to Google with a good looking CV too, but apparently she was such a disappointment there was well she had been sidelined on special projects in Singapore with just a handful of direct reports. Her job was basically taking advertising agents to lunch and she wasn’t in a senior role.

“It amazes me the executive recruitment search was so superficial, they didn’t do their due diligence.”

Another veteran reporter recalled Ms Guthrie had been invited to join a two-day seminar at the ABC’s flagship program Four Corners, just weeks after her appointment in November 2016.

“She was asked at the meeting what sort of stories she would like to see more of on the program and she said we should be doing more positive profiles on successful business leaders,’’ the reporter said.

“She clearly had no clue what the program was about or the difference between public interest journalism and commercial fluff.

“She also weighed in on a story we had done that year on the plight of children in Nauru. She said we should have included ‘happy children’ in the story. There was a really long pause until one reporter said, ‘Um, there are no happy children on Nauru’.”

Greens media spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the ABC must stand strong against attacks “from the Coalition government and Rupert Murdoch”.

“At a time when trust in politics and public institutions is so low, the ABC’s reputation as the most trusted news source must be protected and enhanced,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“I would like to thank Michelle Guthrie for her honesty and commitment to the ABC’s special place in the hearts and minds of Australians during her time as General Manager.

“The ABC has faced budget cuts, frivolous ideological complaints, and weathered drastic changes in the media industry to remain one of the nation’s most valued public institutions.

“Whatever happens next, the ABC needs a strong advocate at the helm who will stand up to the relentless attacks from the Coalition government and their anti-ABC cronies.”

Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz said Ms Guthrie’s sacking required a “full and detailed explanation” from the ABC board.

“I am hopeful that the new managing director will ensure that that the Ultimo-centric broadcaster is more in line with the aspirations of Australians including by delivering benefit to the taxpayer, stopping the left-wing bias and bringing an end to the frolics masquerading as news and ‘comedy’ from some ABC employees,” Senator Abetz said. “I wish Ms Guthrie well for her future.”

Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said: “I’ve got to say, I’m perplexed. I heard the report just before this media conference, I had a look at the statement from the board, I don’t think that really clarifies matters.”

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd demanded the government explain why Ms Guthrie had been sacked. “What on earth is the government’s explanation for Michelle Guthrie’s apparent sacking as head of the ABC. The ABC’s future is owned by all Australians,’’ he tweeted.

What on earth is the government’s explanation for Michelle Guthrie’s apparent sacking as head of the ABC. The ABC’s future is owned by all Australians. https://t.co/OrurwOuqDy via @abcnews

— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) September 24, 2018

Journalists’ union MEAA said: “We feel it is time for a new vision and new direction for the ABC to emerge, allowing journalists and content makers to get on with the job of serving audiences with the content they trust”.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said: “This seems like a great chance to bring in someone who will help the ABC become more fair and balanced. I nominate @PMOnAir (Sky News presenter Paul Murray).”

I hear Michelle Guthrie is looking for a new job and the ABC is looking for a new Managing Director.

This seems like a great chance to bring in someone who will help the ABC become more fair and balanced.

I nominate @PMOnAir. -PH

— Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) September 24, 2018

Outside the ABC’s headquarters in Ultimo, Sydney, employees speculated about the reasons for Guthrie’s departure while outside smoking or buying coffee.

“It’s a huge shock,” one ABC journalist said. “Usually these announcements are made on a Friday afternoon and disappear over the weekend. It must’ve been planned to be made on a Monday morning. Now it’ll dominate the news all week.”

Security stood outside doors checking identification of employees.

With Sam Buckingham-Jones and AAP