The prominent ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson has used her Walkley awards hosting platform to lambast Mark Scott’s approach to ABC redundancies and the managing director’s attitude towards traditional TV and radio journalism.



“So many of my ABC colleagues, journalists like us, some of them in this room indeed, are right now in their pre-Christmas shark pools waiting to find out if they’re going to be jobless by Christmas day,” Ferguson said in her opening monologue at the 59th Walkley awards on Thursday night. “It’s just not funny, and I can’t be laughing about it.”

The Four Corners reporter gave voice to the anger felt by many ABC journalists who have been placed in redundancy “pools” from which management will chose who to sack. The industrial process has stalled while unions negotiate with management over how to shed 100 journalism positions from the news department.

Ferguson was scathing about Scott’s decision to downgrade traditional ABC radio and television journalism to fund new digital priorities, and the move to strip resources from Lateline, 7:30, Four Corners and Radio National specialist programming.

“Yesterday I was at the Walkleys’ Storyology conference when the head of ABC digital, inspired no doubt by his digital idol the head of Buzzfeed, referred to TV and radio at the ABC as a legacy that needed to be dealt with,” she said.

“It’s an interesting word, legacy, I think. You know legacy is the word Qantas uses to describe all those bits of the airline that aren’t Jetstar.

“The way I look at it legacy is what my fast departing colleagues with their years of broadcasting experience leave behind for those of us who still hold fast to the idea that the journalism we do on radio and television is important. These days of course they call it content.

“You imagine what the digital world would look like without it. Sorry for being a little bit Four Corners and fierce, but we here, all of us, see constantly how the media is changing.”

Ferguson’s argument that serious journalism at the ABC was worth supporting was given weight by the ABC’s tally of 12 2014 Walkley awards for Excellence in Journalism, more than any other news organisation.

Scott said it was noteworthy that the ABC won three awards in partnership with Fairfax, Guardian Australia and News Corp.

“Working closely with other media organisations offers an important opportunity in undertaking great journalism and reaching the largest possible audience with the story,” Scott said.

The ABC finished the ratings year in third spot – ahead of the Ten network again – with a five-city primetime share of 10.5%. The most popular programs were the New Year’s Eve midnight fireworks, the Australian dramas Anzac Girls, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Jack Irish: Dead Point, Janet King and The Broken Shore.

Other shows which performed well include The Checkout, Australian Story, Four Corners: Ice Rush, Countdown Do Yourself a Favour, Utopia and the 7.30 budget special.

In her Walkleys monologue Ferguson also made light of the outcry when Leigh Sales’ 7.30 broadcast a satirical segment which lampooned Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.

“I was going to do a little bit of satire tonight, a little bit of light-hearted entertainment, but then I remembered how much grief you get into when serious people from serious programs try to be funny,” she said. “So I thought better of it.”