Leigh gets too emotional. Perfect fit for Q&A.
7.30 should be better than that.
I hate to to horrible but it was a different 730 with Tingle. It was much more bearable. I have not watched it fully since Leigh has returned. Probably more the interviewing style I can’t stand.
If Firetorch was still here he would’ve LOVED this comment 
Matthew Benns’ front page story today, headlined “ABC slammed for dishonouring SAS heroes”, does a deep disservice to members of the SAS, to readers of The Daily Telegraph and to trustworthy journalism.
The 7.30 report Benns sets out to attack, “Crossing the Line: Inside the drinking culture of the SAS“, was based on the testimony of dozens of SAS members spoken to over the course of more than a year by journalist Mark Willacy, including both operators and support staff, as well as wives and partners.
They also deserve to have their views and stories acknowledged and treated with respect.
As Benns was told:
The 7.30 story “Crossing the Line” accurately reports the views of SAS members who spoke to the ABC.
The views are those of the soldiers, not the ABC.
The story is not promoting Mark Willacy’s book, it’s based on research conducted for the book.
Willacy, who last year won the Gold Walkley Award for his Afghanistan reporting, spoke to dozens of former SAS members for the book over the course of more than a year, including operators and support staff.
The issue of the song “Getting Away With It” and its meaning was raised with him by SAS members who expressed the view that it spoke to the darker aspects of what had happened in Afghanistan.
Two of those SAS members are directly quoted in the 7.30 story and others are quoted in the book.
The behaviour at The Gratto was also an issue raised by former SAS members, in terms of its implications for SAS culture and misbehaviour, as well as by family members, one of whom for example described being able to see SAS personnel engaged in activities on The Gratto’s veranda from her home.
“Crossing the line” also contained details of the activities at the Fat Ladies arms, an unauthorised bar in Afghanistan, including SAS drinking from the prosthetic leg taken from a man, suspected to be Taliban, who was shot during an operation. Troops in Afghanistan were not allowed to drink except for approved occasions such as ANZAC Day when they were usually allowed a maximum of two cans of beer.
7.30 delayed airing this report following the fall of Kabul and ran extensive coverage of the situation in Afghanistan, including telling stories of the personal tragedy for so many families and discussing the achievements of Australia’s longest military deployment with figures such as former Prime Minister John Howard.
“Crossing the Line” tells another aspect of the Afghanistan story and one that it is in the public’s interest to bring to light.
Leigh Sales has written an extensive opinion piece on the bullying she and her ABC colleagues had received on social media in recent years.
I don’t understand why 7:30 doesn’t air on Friday nights - it’s not like the news agenda stops on Thursday.
The tv audience significantly reduces on a Friday night. Especially when footy is on and viewers generally watch that. I think it’s a valid reason why ABC doesn’t do 7:30 on a Friday night. BUT there’s a big argument for them to have a version at 7:30 on a Sunday night when there’s a massive audience.
Saves money.
7.30 on a Sunday would be much better than that stupid 40 minute news bulletin. Such a snooze.
7:30 copping a lot of criticism on twitter tonight over it’s main story, aggressively targeting QLD and WA COVID policy yet again while not saying a word about SA or TAS. At this point I feel like the program is compromised with Leigh Sales at the desk.
Sales the mouthpiece for the LNP.
Speaking of LNP, Sales also interviewed NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet tonight.
Does she really have that much say about content and interview questions?
I would say she helps write some of the questions and so on. Well what else does she do all day? Don’t think she just rocks up and reads the auto cue for half an hour. All part of being the highest paid at the network.
Didn’t seem as obvious with Tingle at the helm in regards to targeting Labor.
Before everyone attacks Leigh Sales, don’t forget that she interviewed Dom Perrottet and according to news.com.au, she gave him a grilling.
Any word spoken by an ABC presenter towards a Liberal premier is considered a ‘grilling’ from News Corpse’ perspective.
It was a solid interview. I wouldn’t call it a grilling but it certainly wasn’t a pushover.