Thread by @ADenehey

1/ IMO…
During Covid19, there have been many sensationalist voices from bad actors within Australian news media causing unnecessary division at a time when we needed to come together. Leigh Sales is one of those bad actors.

#leighsales

https://twitter.com/newscomauhq/status/1483645389215395843

2/ Most of her ‘followers’ will tell you - Sales’ tweets on the subject of Covid19 have been consistently sceptical about the seriousness of the disease and the need for a health response. There is no middle ground from this journalist.

3/ This is in stark contrast to many other (but not all) journalists at the ABC, who have continued to tweet articles & opinions about the pandemic with varying view points, most of whom have never thought to undermine the seriousness of the virus.

4/ IMO, Sales used her privileged position at the ABC to exploit the very real issue of online abuse against women in order to falsely conflate this abuse with genuine criticism of her work & her one sided views of the pandemic.

5/ Sales’ article falsely argued those guilty of unwarranted online abuse against journalists are inextricably linked to those who take Covid seriously. The article manifested into a barrage of unwarranted abuse aimed at those who disagreed with her.

6/ The truth is, most challenging her views on Covid19 are also vehemently against online bullying. Effectively causing a ‘pile on’, Leigh Sales’ unbalanced & manipulative article about ‘online trolls’ made her one of Twitter’s biggest online trolls.

7/Despite abundant access to experts in disease control & experienced medical reporters, 730 hosted by Sales spent more time seeking epidemiological opinions from baristas & gym owners with a relentless focus on the effects of lockdown minus the context of the effects of covid19.

8/ A strange phenomenon occurred in Sales’ absence from 730 - stories were balanced & experts in epidemiology, even those with varying opinions, were respected. This lead to some viewers to conclude that on the subject of 730’s declining quality, Sales was the problem.

9/ Sales addressed accusations of bias by reporting the NSW government’s corruption. However, despite hundreds of hours of airtime dedicated to examining the health response by Victoria, the revelation that NSW ignored health advice in last years outbreak was completely ignored.

10/ Like many who scoff at claims of political bias, Sales nevertheless has chosen a side, and it’s not her critics fault that her opinions on Covid align distinctly with ideologies popularised by right wing commentators & conspiracy theorists.

11/ “What if the lockdown you’re experiencing is unnecessary?” “What if Covid19 isn’t that bad?” “What if the health response is fascism?” - are common themes from Sales’ tweets.

All of the above is fear mongering. All of the above is sensationalist.

12/ Sales’ one sided opinions, tweets & journalistic output concerning Covid19 are divisive & sensationalist. Without Sales, 730’s reports on the pandemic are factual and balanced. If Leigh Sales was serious about seeing an end to ‘fear & panic’, she’d resign.