Sacked ABC journalist Antoinette Lattouf speaks out at the Cairns Crocodiles convention

Sacked journalist Antoinette Lattouf, who has spent more than a year at the centre of a dismissal case against the ABC, said her trust in the national broadcaster had been shattered.

Broadcaster, colounist, auther and human rights advocate Antoinette Lattouf speaks at the first day the Cairns Crocodiles media, marketing and advertising conference, held at the Cairns Convention Centre. Picture: Brendan Radke

Sacked journalist Antoinette Lattouf, who has spent more than a year at the centre of a dismissal case against the ABC, said her trust in the national broadcaster had been shattered.

Ms Lattouf gave her keynote talk at the Cairns Crocodiles three-day national convention on Tuesday.

“I didn’t anticipate to end up in a federal court trial against the ABC … that my trust would be shattered in institutions that I had been part of for so long, but also witnessing the increasing distrust among audiences,” Ms Lattouf said.

“So my central question today will be to interrogate what it means to lead with principle, when the very institutions built on truth, well, they’re no longer trusted.”

Ms Lattouf was taken off air during a stint at ABC Radio Sydney in December 2023 after sharing a Human Rights Watch post on Instagram.

She argued she was sacked due to her political opinions and race, which the ABC denies.

February 28, 2025 . Antoinette Lattouf arrives at Federal Court, in Sydney: Picture: NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Ms Lattouf said she never planned to become an advocate for “press freedom”.

“Unfortunately, what happens, though, is career plans don’t always go to plan, because you can’t factor in things like financial recession or an unfolding genocide, you can’t factor those things in the increasing and the speeding up of the decay of trust in legacy media,” she said.

The journalist and founder of Media Diversity Australia said despite her legal battle, media institutions mattered “more than ever”.

“It’s absolutely worth fighting for. It’s essential for our democracy that we have a well resourced, independent and trusted ABC,” Ms Laytouff said.

“It can be really lonely, doing what you think is the right thing, sticking to your ethics. So often I have peers coming up to me and saying, Antoinette I am with you in solidarity.

“I’m ambitious but I’m not delusional. So I know that I can’t single-handedly restore faith or trust in institutions that have been letting audiences, or the border Australian public, down.

“Because they have their slogans, they have their pledges, and then time and time again they don’t live up to it.

“What I can do, and what I will continue to do, is invest in my brand, invest in my integrity.”

Antoinette Lattouf's satirical "review" of her unfair dismissal trial against the ABC, shown at the Cairns Crocodiles on Tuesday May 13 2025. Picture: Elodie Jakes

The Federal Court case judgement between Antoinette Lattouf and the ABC has been reserved since the hearing concluded on February 28 2025.

The Cairns Crocodiles is being held at the Cairns Convention Centre between May 13-15 2025.

It is a three-day convention held in the heart of Cairns City, and is one of Australia’s largest media, marketing and creativity conferences.

Originally published as Sacked ABC journalist Antoinette Lattouf speaks out at the Cairns Crocodiles convention