ABC journalist caught on hot mic insulting Sky News’ Sharri Markson and sharing his thoughts on ‘hard-working’ ABC colleague and Q+A host Patricia Karvelas

A senior ABC journalist has been caught berating Sky News presenter Sharri Markson, calling her “unhinged” in an embarrassingly hot microphone debacle.

Stephen Dziedzic, the ABC’s foreign affairs reporter, poured his thoughts on fellow journalists on everything from the broadcaster’s management to fellow ABC stars for a press conference with Defense Secretary Richard Marles and the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Saturday in Brisbane.

But the hapless reporter was completely unaware that his words were being broadcast directly to rival newsrooms across the country.

In a recording of the episode, first print by Samantha Maiden, the political editor of news.com.au, Mr Dziedic can be heard reluctantly admitting to other journalists that Ms Markson may be on to something with her coverage of the origins of the covid-19 pandemic.

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That morning, the Sky News host had published an exclusive front page in The Weekend Australian on the theory that the virus emerged as a result of a lab leak.

“She’s like a pit bull and she’s so unhinged, yet she could still be right,” says Mr. Dziedzic.

He then admits that he “remembers being super dismissive of that” theory.

“That it was the most unhinged thing ever,” adds Dziedzic.

“I was overly influenced by the fact that they were really nasty, crazy people who were so deep down the rabbit hole. I probably didn’t look at it emotionless enough.’

Ms Markson responded to her Monday night show, describing the comments as ‘defamatory’.

“Are you calling me unhinged and a Pitbull?” Well, I describe my investigative book, my feature films, my documentary, my dozens of world-exclusive articles as meticulous and forensic,” says Ms. Markson.

She adds: “The ABC is meant to serve the public interest and public interest journalism and the origins of the pandemic, what happened in Wuhan was definitely what was in the public interest with seven million people now dead.

“But this stunning admission that a journalist didn’t consider or investigate it for ideological reasons…is a disservice to our society and it’s a shame that public interest journalism was not pursued.”

Conversation between Dziedzic, Australian foreign affairs and defense correspondent Ben Packham and The Sydney Morning Herald foreign affairs reporter Matthew Knott continues with the decision to fire former ABC political editor Andrew Probyn.

“It was the worst decision we ever made,” says Dziedzic.

He then suggests it would have been ‘super awkward’ between Mr Probyn and Insiders presenter David Speers, who has been appointed to a similar role.

Mr Knott, who is in his 30s, then complains about the number of new ‘youngsters’ working in ABC’s Canberra office that he doesn’t recognize who, he suggests, could have been brought in ‘to do TikTok’.

“They’re all about 70,000, probably four or five of them would have been Probes (salary),” he says.

Dziedzic suggests there is a real ‘generation gap’ in the ABC Canberra newsroom.

“There has been a generation split and it was the worst, whoever leaked to our dear friends at The Australian,” he laughs.

“It would be hypocritical to complain about leaks. But like, people in the agency feel personally attacked, right? So we literally had this horrible bloody encounter after that. It was just terrifying. I don’t think it was a matter of diversity, really.’

He then goes on to say there were ‘major editorial differences’ between Mr Probyn and ABC bureau chief Michelle Ainsworth with the decision to eventually let him go ‘in person’.

The chat then turns into an interview new Q+A host Patricia Karvelas conducted with US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy on ABC breakfast radio.

Mr. Packham asks the ABC journalist what he thinks of Mrs. Karvelas.

Dziedzic notes that some listeners who are “loyalists” of former RN Breakfast presenter Fran Kelly are “hostile” to Karvelas and he doesn’t know why.

“What’s the feeling at the ABC about her kind, the Patricia everywhere kind of thing?” Packham then asks.

“There is a certain amount of cynicism,” the ABC reporter replies.

“I mean, honestly, there’s a little big poppy in that stuff, too, like people… people are just jealous. I like PK. I think she’s probably crowding out a bit, but she also works damn hard, which not everyone in the ABC does.”

An ABC spokesman said: ‘The ABC has been made aware of a conversation between members of the press gallery, including an ABC employee, which was captured by a live microphone prior to the start of a media conference.

“We are urgently investigating the matter. The ABC has a very clear code of conduct. It is also mandatory to follow due process in personnel matters, including confidentiality.”