Journalist Sharri Markson lashes ‘disgusting, outrageous attack’ from Channel 9’s Chris Uhlmann

Journalist Sharri Markson lashes Channel 9 political editor Chris Uhlmann for suggestions of a campaign against Malcolm Turnbull.

Chris Uhlmann and Sharri Markson go head-to-head on The Today Show.

Nine political editor Chris Uhlmann today “called out” some journalists and commentators at The Australian, Daily Telegraph, 2GB and Sky News for wanting to be “players” in the leadership battle between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton.

In an interview with Today Show hosts Karl Stefanovic and Georgie Gardner, Uhlmann lashed out at those he perceived to be “working behind the scenes as well as in front of the cameras”.

He said if commentators and journalists wanted to be “making phone calls trying to push people over the line, then they are part of this story”.

"News corporations...are waging a war against the Prime Minister of Australia" - @CUhlmann #9Today pic.twitter.com/UaQBLTv0bQ

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) August 22, 2018

“Everyone from the PM down has pointed out to me that they believe there has been a campaign waged against them. This is reporting news. This is what people are telling me about what is going on,” Uhlmann said.

“News Corporation, so we are talking about The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, tabloid newspapers around the country, 2GB in Sydney, led by Alan Jones and Ray Hadley, and Sky News in particular with its evening line up are waging a war against the prime minister of Australia. Now that’s what they think. That’s just reporting the news.”

MORE: Chris Kenny writes: ‘Of course, the media are players in politics’

But Uhlmann, who is married to Labor MP Gai Brodtmann, then went further with some critical comments of his own.

“Now apparently if you say that to them now, they get their knickers in a huge twist,” he said.

“If they want to dish it out they should be prepared to take it. They are among the biggest bullies in the land and it is about time people called them out for what they are.

“And if they don’t like that, they can come after me.”

.@CUhlmann and @SharriMarkson go head to head on how Australian media impacts politics. #9Today pic.twitter.com/dQ15lHrgfh

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) August 23, 2018

Uhlmann’s comments were strongly rejected by the The Daily Telegraph’s national political editor Sharri Markson, who labelled the suggestion of a News Corp Australia campaign against Malcolm Turnbull as “disgusting and outrageous”.

“Can I just also make a remark about my newspaper, the The Daily Telegraph, about what Chris Uhlmann said earlier. I’m not defending anyone, but I am strongly defending my newspaper, The Daily Telegraph in response to Chris Uhlmann’s quite disgusting and outrageous attack that we were in any way players in this,” Markson said.

“I broke the story in Friday’s newspaper … a straight news story … that conservative MPs were urging [Peter] Dutton to seize the leadership and in that story I also had that he was considering it and was torn about what to do.

“That was a straight news report and your political editor should be able to tell the difference between a straight news story in a newspaper and advocacy. At not one point has The Daily Telegraph or The Australian newspaper advocated for any change whatsoever. We have just brought everyone the news of what was going on behind the scenes first — and that is what journalists should do.

“In terms of Sky News, these are straight political reporters — you’ve got David Speers, Kieran Gilbert, Laura Jayes all day doing straight news reporting.”

Uhlmann responded by calling out “the former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister Tony Abbott” in Peta Credlin, who hosts a program in the opinion-led evening schedule for Sky News Australia, as well as conservative commentators Alan Jones and Paul Murray.

“They are turning Liberal-National Party voters into One Nation voters after dark,” Uhlmann said.

Markson responded: “Chris Uhlmann, at night-time there are a series of opinion shows where each of those hosts express their opinion. This is a democracy, this is a free country, people are allowed to express their view about the politics of the day.”