ABC insiders believe the real reason former political editor Andrew Probyn was fired is because of personal spats with bosses over a beer fridge and coverage of Lidia Thorpe’s ex-boyfriend.
Probyn’s position was fired by ABC management on Thursday in an effort to make room for the hiring of more social media reporters.
However, ABC employees believe that Probyn’s firing was more personal Weekend Australian reports.
It is understood that Canberra bureau chief Michelle Ainsworth proposed Probyn’s resignation, which was later signed by the ABC’s top bosses.
Earlier reporting suggests Ainsworth and Probyn had a tense relationship with the paper reporting in October that Probyn was ‘incredulous’ at the chief for removing the agency’s beer fridge in Canberra.
ABC insiders claim former political editor Andrew Probyn (above) was fired after several spats with top bosses
The fridge had used an honesty system where staff could pay $3 to enjoy a beer at the end of the day.
The former editor was the only employee to speak out against the decision at a meeting at 10am, where staff were told the move had been made on the recommendation of the parliamentary review of sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins.
Ainsworth sent a follow-up email to staff saying, “It jeopardizes our coverage of the culture in this building if we continue to use a beer fridge… It is no longer acceptable to drink alcohol in the office these days.”
However, ABC has since said the beer fridge removal was “suggested by the News Executive, approved by the Director of News and approved by the Managing Director,” not Ainsworth.
In a statement, the ABC also said changes to Canberra’s bureau positions had not been proposed by Ms Ainsworth, but instead “by the News Executive, endorsed by the Director of News and approved by the Managing Director”.
“Michelle Ainsworth is not on the News Executive.”
Another controversial point of contention in the Canberra office was Probyn’s outspoken nature.
An on-air personality said Australia’s Probyn’s firing was due to his habit of “standing up to management over some of their more stupid editorial and staffing decisions.”
A recent standoff between Probyn and ABC heads saw him fight to publish a junior reporter’s scoop on the relationship between former Greens-now-Independent MP Lidia Thorpe and ex-Victoria rebel gang president Dean Martin.
Thorpe denies that the pair had a romantic relationship and only kissed once.
Probyn and Canberra bureau chief Michelle Ainsworth, who reportedly suggested his resignation, clashed in October over the removal of an office beer fridge (stock image)
Sydney bosses reportedly told Probyn that they didn’t want to go forward with the story “because they didn’t want to be seen as punching a black woman.”
“They kept putting hurdles in front of the story, they just didn’t want to execute it at all. So ‘Probes’ kept digging until it was impossible to put it on the shelf,” an ABC source said.
“In the end it ran – and it should have, it was a legitimate news story – and of course every other news channel followed suit.”
However, news director Justin Stevens has since denied that the ABC was hesitant to publish the story.
“The claim that the ABC was reluctant to publish an exclusive story that we prominently broke and followed is just ridiculous,” he said.
“We rigorously question the public interest test for our stories and if they pass that, as this one did, we support them.”
Probyn’s position is just one of 120 jobs laid off by the ABC, 40 of which are on the newsroom.
The company’s top journalists and executives gathered in Canberra on Friday, where news chief Justin Stevens justified the uproar as a move towards creating “digital and social content.”
Probyn also reportedly battled Sydney bosses to reveal the alleged romantic relationship between former Greens-now-Independent MP Lidia Thorpe and ex-Victoria rebel gang president Dean Martin (pictured together)
Managing director David Anderson described it as “an opportunity to transform our political coverage to attract new audiences – including younger audiences, who are increasingly seeking their political news from other platforms and outlets – while continuing to be our broadcast audience. serve’.
After Friday’s meeting, an ABC employee said among staff, “the view was that (Probyn’s resignation) is personal. The executives sat there justifying the unjustified.’
In a statement, ABC said the firing was part of its social media transition.
“The Political Editor role was a position created in 2015 primarily to report for 7PM News at a time when the majority of our audience was primarily served by 7PM News,” it said.
“We will retain the roles of editor, political and deputy editor who manage coverage and have editorial responsibility.”