Ita Buttrose has been removed from the speaker list at Women in Media Australia’s 20th anniversary fundraiser, with concerns raised about the platform afforded to her in light of the ABC’s Antoinette Lattouf saga.
Organisers of the event sent out a memo to attendees on the afternoon of March 11 to inform them that Buttrose, the organisation’s national patron, was “no longer able to participate” in the event, with new guest speakers to be announced in the coming days. By the morning of March 13, new speakers were yet to be announced, but comedian Kitty Flanagan was announced to host the organisation’s Women in Media Oration in late May.
“We think you are really going to enjoy the discussion,” the March 11 email promised attendees.
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“We apologise for the change of plans, but plan to host a memorable gathering to celebrate our 20th anniversary with you.”
The issue of Buttrose’s slated appearance was raised on social media by Diversity Arts Australia’s Simone Jordan, and then later at an International Women’s Day panel held by Women in Media, which included Alicia Vrajlal.
Vrajlal, the editorial lead at Missing Perspectives, told the panel she had “mixed feelings” about accepting the panel “because I knew I’d be the only woman of colour”.
“It goes without saying with the Antoinette Lattouf case, and the conversations happening at the moment, I feel as though we could be going backwards,” Vrajlal told the room.
“I’ve heard other women of colour publicly expressing disappointment for example with Ita Buttrose headlining an ‘In Conversation’ event organised by Women in Media,” she said.
“I feel a bit disappointed, I feel a bit frustrated, I feel a bit confused as to where attention is given to women of colour and when it’s not. Is this a pick and choose situation? Are women of colour being listened to only when it suits a certain narrative or is great for optics?”
Speaking to Crikey, Vrajlal said that while she had accepted the invitation to speak on International Women’s Day well in advance of learning of Buttrose speaking at the 20th anniversary event, the invitation mentioned the importance of building “safer, more respectful workplace cultures”, and that raised her ire.
“It was an opportunity to remind the industry that we must be more thoughtful of who we’re platforming. It will now be interesting to see who Women in Media platform as a speaker for this event.”
Vrajlal said that given “public discourse around tokenistic diversity at International Women’s Day events across various industries”, seeing a “huge platform given to Ita Buttrose has only solidified the sentiment of disappointment, frustration and confusion for many women of colour”.
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Women in Media Australia’s seven-strong board has one woman of colour on it.
Buttrose’s speaking appointment came in the wake of her tense testimony in the Federal Court over the Antoinette Lattouf sacking. While Buttrose said it was “nice to get congratulatory emails” (according to an email sent by her to managing director David Anderson) after Lattouf’s exit, she claims she “didn’t wish [Lattouf] to be removed” and had “nothing to do with her dismissal”. She then proceeded to send a letter, distributed to the press and published in full by Crikey, filled with explosive allegations about Anderson’s own testimony, accusing him of lying under oath.
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