ABC Weekend Breakfast co-host Fauziah Ibrahim has disappeared from TV screens and “taken a break from on-camera duties” after a spokesperson for her employer announced it was looking into whether she breached its tough new social media guidelines.
The ABC announced a review of her social media activity after screenshots of a couple of tweets of hers containing “shitlists” that appeared to be anti-Labor surfaced.
Ibrahim’s Twitter account has more than 13,000 followers but has this week been restricted meaning only approved followers can see what she posts. The lists have also been removed.
The lists became public knowledge earlier this month when Twitter users began to share screenshots and accused her of bias.
In the lists Ibrahim called out Twitter users — not high-profile figures or politicians — who appeared to be pro-Labor and named them in two lists titled “Labor Trolls/Thugs” and “Lobotomised Shitheads”.
But Ibrahim has herself been subjected to criticism and racial abuse online from both Liberal and Labor supporters.
Labor supporters targeted her online following an interview with Anthony Albanese in January in which she interrupted him several times. But the online criticism was pretty ruthless.
Would like to understand from where the breathless rude and fact free attack on the leader of the opposition came from today. Performance review?
— bw. (@BrunoWatt) January 6, 2022
After your appalling interview today of Albo, interrupting after asking questions, I’m not sure I tune in again. Appalling and uncalled for. The issue is about supply. Not just to 6 million on welfare, but the other 19 million. PCR free has not been means tested . Why RATs ?
— LouieLou (@LouieLouLouigi) January 6, 2022
This might conflict with what you’ve been told, but I reckon your audience doesn’t give a rats about your colour or ethnicity. They judge you on whether you inform or entertain them. If you don’t preach or editorialise, they won’t judge.
— David Leyonhjelm (@DavidLeyonhjelm) December 26, 2021
She was accused of bias again after she interviewed Labor MP Jason Clare on April 16.
If @AustralianLabor wins the election we will set up a National Anti Corruption Commission by the end of this year.
Here’s my full interview with @fauziah_ibrahim on @abcnews this morning 👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/p9z0KdA38C
— Jason Clare MP (@JasonClareMP) April 16, 2022
Unsurprisingly, her critics were quick to bring her ethnicity into the conversation and some suggested she should be grateful to Labor for its softer border control policies in *allowing* her to live and work in Australia. Honestly, disgusting stuff.
It’s thanks to Labor that the likes of @fauziah_ibrahim get to live in Aus.
If it wasn’t for all those types that she labelled #LobotomisedShitheads, she’d still be living happily in Singapore.
Labor, forget about ICAC. How about a retrospective WAP?— 💧🔥 Je suis Macron Madonna_Stained_Glass_Tattoo💧 (@JStabbington) April 16, 2022
But under the ABC’s new guidelines on the personal use of social media, which were updated in August 2021, she’s not allowed to call people our or defend herself on her personal social media accounts if it compromises her impartiality.
“An injudicious post or tweet can instantly compromise this perception of impartiality,” the guidelines read.
An ABC spokesperson added Ibrahim would remain part of the Weekend Breakfast team but did not reveal if or when she would return to air.
