This ABC Radio Presenter Broke Down Live On Air, And You Absolutely Need To Hear Her Explain Why
A reminder that real people actually read your rude comments.
Yesterday, ABC Radio Adelaide presenter Ali Clarke burst into tears live on air after receiving a series of abusive comments on the station’s text line. Her co-presenter offered to cut to a song, but she stopped to explain her reaction, and it’s a pretty timely reminder that real people are actually on the receiving end of the comments you write.
Yes, even the ones you’re about to write on Facebook about this article.
Clarke broke down after reading a text from a listener which described her interviewing as “pitiful” and “excruciating listening”. “We don’t always get things right here, but we do always try our best,” she said between sobs.
“We sit here, with a text line in front of us, and it just adds up, you know? Sometimes we do interviews and it’s handed to us last minute, and we’re trying our very best. And when someone texts in that that was a pitiful interview and what you just said was awful…it adds up.”
Presenters and journos hear and read your sometimes unnecessarily awful words. It’s important to be mindful of that: ABC Radio Adelaide presenter Ali Clarke breaks down live on air after text attack – ABC News https://t.co/jGEPBOFN6x
— Avani (@AvaniDias) August 21, 2018
“And it’s fine, normally I’d be able to deal with it, maybe I’m just having a bad day,” she continued. “That’s what people always say about this stuff, you’ve gotta be tough, but sometimes you’re just not tough enough.”
“I know that I probably even shouldn’t be saying this, but every single announcer sits here and sees what you’re saying. And you have a right to say it, don’t get me wrong, but maybe just before you send in texts like that you understand that it’s hard doing live radio. It’s not the toughest job in the world, goodness gracious, there are people doing much tougher jobs, but we always try our best. And when people do say that stuff, it actually can hurt”.
She makes a good point. It’s also worth noting that comments like these often end up hurting even more for members of minority groups, who frequently have to field a bunch of racial and other slurs, threats and attacks after offering an opinion or simply doing their jobs. Let this be today’s reminder that you can disagree with, even criticise someone, without being a dickhead.
Clarke has received an outpouring of support on social media following her broadcast yesterday. And yesterday afternoon, ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie sent an all staff email in support of Clarke, writing that while anonymous online attacks “are an increasingly common dark facet of online exchanges”, she wanted to make it clear that “ABC employees have the same right as every other person in the workplace to feel safe in their work environment. Feedback, debate and/or dissent should not descend into personal abuse.”
You can listen to the full radio segment here. If you’re planning on writing any comments today, it’s probably worth having a listen.
Feature image via ABC Radio Adelaide