Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull appeared on Andrew Bolt‘s ‘The Bolt Report’ this morning – one of his first TV interviews since the Coalition’s budget announcement earlier this week.
While Turnbull defended the ABC following Bolt’s cries of the broadcaster’s leftist bias during the interview today—Turnbull admitted that many of its journalists may “lean more to the left”, but maintained that the ABC’s inherent role was to keep politicians accountable for their policies and actions—the Communications minister also admitted that highly-regarded journalists Leigh Sales and Emma Alberici could benefit from toning their interview styles slightly down from Beast Mode, in which they currently operate.
Malcolm Turnbull described Sales’ and Alberici’s interview styles as “very aggressive”, adding:
“I would say as somebody who used to interview people as a living, both as a journalist and as a barrister and of course as a politician, I would say a more effective interviewing style is one that is less aggressive and more forensic.”
It’s no secret that Sales and Alberici thrive off a particular style of interview that leaves even the most articulate politician quivering, tripping over words and sweating bullets. And ABC audiences equally thrive, truth be told, off interviews that grill politicians – on both sides – to make such exchanges legitimately cinema-worthy. “But that’s in effect an editorial opinion,” Turnbull clarified his advice this morning.
Taming the ruthless forces of nature that are Leigh Sales and Emma Alberici? Pls.
Watch one of Sales’ most recent smackdowns below.
Lead image by Stefan Postles via Getty.
