Emma Alberici calls Malcolm Turnbull a bully as she confirms ABC exit

‘The countless letters you sent to the ABC were ridiculous and unbecoming of a PM’: Emma Alberici has revealed details of a bitter departure from the ABC.

Emma Alberici and former PM Malcolm Turnbull have traded heated words over Twitter following Alberici’s exit from the ABC.

Some of the ABC’s most prominent journalists – past and present – have thrown their support behind public broadcaster’s former chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici, who has confirmed her departure from the organisation.

The Australian on Friday revealed Alberici had accused the ABC of kowtowing to personal complaints by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in a legal missive sent as part of negotiations over her exit from the broadcaster. Alberici has now settled her dispute with the ABC.

Just cos you bully people doesn’t make you correct and others not. The countless letters you sent to the ABC were ridiculous and unbecoming of a PM

— Emma Alberici (@albericie) August 20, 2020

Pointing out factual errors in a journalist’s work is not bullying - and even more so when the errors were later acknowledged. It is a pity publication of your lawyer’s letter revived this issue as it distracts from your many achievements. All the best for your next adventure.

— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 21, 2020

Malcolm, there’s a stray apostrophe in your tweet. Who will you blame that on?

— Emma Alberici (@albericie) August 20, 2020

Former 730 Report presenter Quentin Dempster said it was ABC “mismanagement” that had caused the departure of Alberici, a former Europe correspondent for the broadcaster.

“The (Alberici) case where this highly productive journalist’s career has been destroyed by ABC mismanagement is a blot on the ABC’s otherwise trusted reputation,” Dempster tweeted.

“Yes, enraged PMs are hard to deal with but editorial leadership is required to protect/defend ABC independence.”

Another ABC identity, Media Watch presenter Paul Barry, said he was “sorry” to see Alberici leave.

“You’re a fine journalist and you’ve done some great work,” he tweeted.

“Good luck in what will continue to be a fine career.”

ABC Radio Melbourne host Rafael Epstein tweeted Ms Alberici and her “reporting will be sorely missed”.

“I have no idea what happened inside the ABC that led to this,” he tweeted.

Support for the former European correspondent came after Alberici engaged Mr Turnbull in an extraordinary Twitter row after it was revealed she had settled her dispute with the national broadcaster amid an ugly legal stoush with ABC management.

I’d like to issue a clarification to the @australian story. It is true that the ABC & I reached an agreement yesterday. After 18 years of loyal service, including as one of the country’s first mother foreign correspondents (with 3 kids under 3) I am no longer employed by them 1/4

— Emma Alberici (@albericie) August 20, 2020

Today’s story is all true but I don’t want my photo on the front page of the newspaper & yes, I turned down a role on the ABC News Channel. I was a journalist in the old fashioned way. I really liked being in the field & hearing other people’s stories 2/4

— Emma Alberici (@albericie) August 20, 2020

But despite offers to do so, I refused to go to @ForeignOfficial full time unless @gavmorris agreed to issue a press release or similar making it clear that I had not failed in the role of Chief Economics Correspondent. He refused to do that 3/4

— Emma Alberici (@albericie) August 20, 2020

Instead, I was shocked to be nominated as redundant. The reason we haggled for days with the Fair Work Commission DP is that @gavmorris refused to allow my payout to be called “damages” 4/4

— Emma Alberici (@albericie) August 20, 2020

Despite the enormous toll his actions have taken on my mental health. @gavmorris wanted to call it a termination payout, no doubt so he could tell the world I was fired for incompetence or some such.

— Emma Alberici (@albericie) August 20, 2020

The high-profile journalist said it was “too painful” to remain in the public eye following the legal battle involving ABC news director Gaven Morris who is accused in a legal letter of telling Alberici that Mr Turnbull was constantly calling him to make complaints about her.

In a heated exchange, Mr Turnbull refuted claims “that I called Morris about Emma is denied both by me and the ABC”.

“As to her 14 Feb 2018 article on tax, it was full of errors, confused basic accounting concepts and was widely and publicly criticised including by me in the House,” Mr Turnbull tweeted.

Ms Alberici responded: “Just cos you bully people doesn’t make you correct and others not.”

“The countless letters you sent to the ABC were ridiculous and unbecoming of a PM,” she said.

Earlier, Alberici vowed never to appear on a TV screen again after she confirmed the end of her career at the ABC on Twitter. “It is true that the ABC & I reached an agreement yesterday,” she wrote. “After 18 years of loyal service, including as one of the country’s first mother foreign correspondents (with 3 kids under 3) I am no longer employed by them.”

“I have never coveted the camera … I will no longer be on TV & will not accept any role if it’s offered.”

ABC Director of News Gaven Morris. Picture: AAP

Alberici was the European Correspondent for the national broadcaster between 2008 and 2012 before becoming a presenter on Lateline until 2017 and chief economics correspondent in 2018.

Alberici said she turned down a role on the ABC News Channel because she was a “journalist in the old fashioned way” who “really liked being in the field & hearing other people’s stories”.

“Despite the enormous toll his actions have taken on my mental health (Gaven Morris) wanted to call it a termination payout, no doubt so he could tell the world I was fired for incompetence or some such,” she said.

In a legal letter sent in July to managing director David Anderson, obtained by The Australian, Ms Alberici’s lawyer – Chris McArdle from McArdle Legal – said the prime minister should not be “permitted to ring Mr Morris to make this or that demand”.

“The ABC must be independent,” the letter read.

“The only real contact with the prime minister should be the chairperson.”

Mr McArdle said last night the “idea of a prime minister ringing an employee of the ABC is beyond precedent”. “This has been an unnecessarily difficult time for Emma … but she is pleased to say she has settled her dispute with the ABC,” he said.

Ms Alberici settled the protracted dispute with the ABC after it ended up in the Fair Work Commission when she was targeted in a recent purge of 250 staff.

Former Lateline hosts Alberici and Tony Jones.

Tensions with ABC management boiled over after Ms Alberici was “warehoused” from her role as chief economics correspondent following the 2018 stoush over the article the government complained had been fabricated.

Mr Turnbull and senior members of his cabinet in 2018 lodged multiple complaints about Ms Alberici, over reporting of economics issues that they claimed were false, contained factual errors and were misleading.

The ABC in response launched an internal review, which found that the articles in question had contained factual errors.

After confirming she would no longer be working at the ABC, Ms Alberici said she “wanted to look after myself and my family”.

“Only regret I have from my 18 years at the ABC, is that I didn’t get a chance to say a proper goodbye to the colleagues who have become dear friends.”