Elon Musk’s Twitter ‘hellscape’ for Australia's public broadcaster

The petals can’t take blowback?

New Twitter owner Elon Musk has been desperately trying to reassure advertisers in recent days the social media platform won’t become “a free-for-all hellscape”. But try telling that to the ABC, Elon.

Alarming statistics quietly released by the public broadcaster show that trending on Twitter has already become dangerous for many of its journalists, who are seeking help in record numbers from an in-house “social media wellbeing adviser” to help them deal with the online “hellscape”.

The numbers show by far the highest incidence of workplace health and safety (WHS) incidents at the ABC over the past year has occurred as a direct result of interaction with social media, including Twitter – which is used by more journalists at Aunty than any other platform.

In total, 76 work-related incidents at the ABC – or 32 per cent of the entire total of workplace incidents at Aunty for the year to June 2022 – were put down to what the public broadcaster dubbed “social media safety” incidents.

Furthermore, in the fine print of the 2022 ABC annual report, it is noted that the ABC’s in-house social media wellbeing adviser, Nicolle White – who has apparently been with the public broadcaster since October 2020 — has “assisted with 94 incidents and proactively reached out to 48 staff following recognition of high-risk of abuse, such as trending on Twitter or media mentions”.

That revelation comes as ABC Media Watch host Paul Barry hinted on his weekly show last week the ABC was currently “weighing up if it wants to remain on Twitter under Musk’s new world order”.

Some of the ABC’s highest-profile journalists have also been “weighing up” whether to stay on social media, with the likes of former 7.30 host Leigh Sales and ABC News Breakfast presenter Lisa Millar deleting their accounts over bizarre Twitter attacks claiming they had a ‘‘right-wing bias’’.

The ABC annual report has acknowledged the seriousness of the current social media issues being faced, amid an increasingly toxic online environment.

“Online safety, especially in the social media environment, represents a growing risk to ABC workers, talent, and audiences,” the report said. “The ABC actively manages these risks through its dedicated in-house staff and is working in collaboration with the Australian eSafety Office to publish materials that support the broader media community.”

The growing number of incidents on Twitter and other platforms appears to be costing the ABC money. The ABC’s annual report shows indicative premiums for Comcare, the government’s workers compensation insurer, will rise from $3.3m in the year to June 2022, to more than $3.8m in the year to June 2023.

The ABC notes the rise reflects “higher-than-expected ABC claims costs … due to increased mental stress claims”.

The revelations of the mental and financial cost to the ABC are likely to ratchet up pressure for the public broadcaster to more strongly police the use of Twitter by staff.

Under questioning from the Liberals’ Sarah Henderson and James McGrath in Senate estimates last week, ABC managing director David Anderson said he was putting “all employees on notice” about Twitter use, amid suggestions some were too engaged.

“In regards to the fact that all people who are active on personal use of social media, especially Twitter, I think you can say I’ve cautioned all of them,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/media-diary-annastacia-palaszczuk-sydney-day-out-with-graham-richardson/news-story/94312bb42161cfe95b87aae09c8ae3e6

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