Source : THE AGE NEWS
One of the ABC’s most prominent broadcasters, Laura Tingle, will leave her position as political editor of flagship current affairs program 7.30 for a new global reporting role.
Tingle has been appointed the ABC’s global affairs editor, a position until recently occupied by John Lyons, who became Americas editor, based in Washington.
Laura Tingle will move on from 7.30 after seven years to become the ABC’s global affairs editor.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Tingle has held the political editor position since 2018, and was elected the ABC staff representative on its board in 2023. Her position as a board director will remain unchanged.
The global affairs editor leads the ABC’s international coverage, with reporting and analysis of major world events. The role was created in 2022 for Lyons.
The ABC said it would advertise for a replacement for Tingle on 7.30. She will switch roles mid-year.
Tingle is one of the ABC’s most accomplished journalists. She has a 40-year career in the industry spanning roles at The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and has won two Walkley Awards.
Tingle became the subject of controversy last year over comments she made during a Sydney Writers’ Festival panel criticising then-opposition leader Peter Dutton’s immigration policy and calling Australia a racist country.
“We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been, and it’s very depressing,” Tingle said in comments the ABC later said would not have met editorial standards.
It also emerged in February, during the unlawful-termination case against the ABC brought by broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf, that Tingle had expressed “deep concern” to then-chair Ita Buttrose over the leaking of Lattouf’s sacking to The Australian in December 2023.
Tingle said of her new role that she was exceptionally excited to have the opportunity to use her experience to report back to Australia on big events around the world.
“I started my journalistic career at a time when Australia and the world were being challenged and transformed by the forces of deregulation and the freeing up of global trade,” Tingle said.
“Forty years on, we are in even more uncertain times. It’s so important that the national public broadcaster has Australian eyes on the world, putting the significance of major global events into context for local audiences.”
International reporting is the cornerstone of the ABC’s news output, news boss Justin Stevens said.
“We have an outstanding group of foreign correspondents and technical specialists and Laura will add even more firepower to this busy and productive team,” he said.
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