Host of ABC’s 7.30 program, Leigh Sales, has been subjected to “relentless” abuse on social media following last night’s interview with opposition leader Bill Shorten.
Much of the criticism centres on a tense exchange on Medicare policy in which she told Shorten to “wrap it up.”
The blow-back was swift and nasty, with some social media users referring to the host as “a f**cking nitpicker” and calling on her to resign.
Last night’s 7.30 interview was Shorten’s second in the lead up to Saturday’s federal election.
In questioning whether some of Shorten’s claims during the campaign were an “overreach”, Sales asked him for evidence of the Coalition’s plans to privatise Medicare.
“I have no doubt that if the Coalition had their way, they would systematically undermine Medicare brick by brick, piece by piece,” Shorten said.
Leigh Sales talks to Mia Freedman about how she handles critcism:
Sales attempted to raise other examples, but Shorten insisted health care was the “key issue”.
“We did go through Medicare a lot last time we spoke,” Sales said.
“It’s only just because you were challenging what I was saying,” replied Shorten.
“Wrap it up … please,” said Sales.
Read: Hey Mia with Leigh Sales, what’s the greatest lesson you learned in school?
Fed up with the “river of disgusting, sexist, relentless abuse” she’d been subjected to online since last night’s interview and during the entire election campaign, Sales posted a collection of some of the nastiest examples to her Twitter account this morning.
Here are her favourites:
But clearly Sales is not alone. Inspired by her defiance, Herald Sun reporter Annika Smethurst shared her own examples of the trolling she and her colleagues have received.
It seems Saturday can’t come soon enough.
Top Comments
I don't think Leigh Sales is particularly good at interviewing. She seems more interested in her questions than the answers. And I think both she and Chris Uhlmann have a preference towards the LNP.
The Murdoch press, the Institute of Public Affairs, and the shock jocks have been waging a campaign against the ABC for years now, asserting that it is biased. Several surveys have disputed this bias, although some have reported that the ABC favours the LNP somewhat.
Nevertheless, I think you can voice your opinion on public figures without being abusive.
I absolutely love Leigh Sales - she challenges and engages directly and effectively and shows no bias. Unlike many of her colleagues on the ABC.