Antoinette Lattouf has spoken in detail for the first time since she won the unfair dismissal lawsuit against the ABC.
ABC Southbank studios in Melbourne will open to the public on Saturday July 26, as part of this yearâs Open House Melbourne weekend. Note that you must pre-book a ticket.
The second release of tickets is tomorrow (July 5) at 10am AEST.
Applications open for the ABC Trailblazers Program
Applications are now open for the 2026 ABC Trailblazers Program for emerging regional leaders who are creating positive change in their communities.
Encouraged to apply are 18â28 year olds who are leading social, educational, environmental or economic projects in regional areas.
âAs an advocate for underrepresented communities, Iâm grateful to have participated in the Trailblazers program,â says Trailblazer alumna Yolanda Kanyai.
Originally from Zimbabwe and now based in Darwin, Yolanda founded Vibrant Diverse Cultures (VDC) to support people from diverse backgrounds through mentoring and wellness initiatives.
âTrailblazers gave us a platform to showcase VDCâs work in building community resilience. It was empowering to connect with changemakers across regional Australia,â Yolanda says.
Each year, up to 20 regional changemakers are selected to join the program, receiving a support package including a leadership intensive at the Heywire Regional Youth Summit, aimed at empowering young regional leaders to share their stories with the nation, and funding opportunities.
Trailblazers gave Clancy Lester, an ecologist from Numurkah in Victoria, a platform to share his work increasing insect biodiversity. Clancyâs Native Bee Hotels project educates people about creating eco-friendly habitats for native bees and pollinators through workshops and community projects.
âBeing a country kid that wears footy shorts and a singlet for half the year, getting the chance to go to Parliament House and rub shoulders with the people who can make it happen was pretty awesome,â Clancy says.
âThrough the programâs guidance, connections and exposure, all the pieces came together, giving my project the direction and momentum it needed to reach millions of people.â
Since its launch in 2017, more than 130 young people have participated in the Trailblazers program, connecting with fellow changemakers, advancing their projects and sharing their work with a national audience across the ABC.
The Hon. Kristy McBain MP, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, encourages young rural and regional leaders to apply for the 2026 Trailblazers program to elevate their projects and make a difference in their communities.
âAlumni from the Trailblazers program are making positive changes in communities right across our nation,â she says. âThe program provides a unique opportunity for participants to get inspired, grow their projects and collaborate with other young leaders. I strongly encourage aspiring community leaders to apply.â
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks says Trailblazers offers a powerful platform.
âThe ABC is proud to provide young community leaders, social entrepreneurs and advocates with the chance to highlight their exceptional work on a national level,â he says.
âPast Trailblazers have inspired us with their community-driven initiatives and I eagerly anticipate the ideas and innovations that will come forward in 2026.â
Submit your application through the Trailblazers website by Sunday 3 August 2025.
The ABCâs Trailblazers program sits under the umbrella of the Heywire program, which the ABC has run in partnership with the Australia Government since 1998.
The ABCâs Trailblazers program is supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts; the Department of Health and Aged Care; the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations; the Office for Youth; and AgriFutures Australia.
Brisbane Open House 2025
On Saturday, July 19th, ABC Brisbane will once again open its doors to the public from 8.45am to 3.00pm.
Get your tickets here.
Step behind the scenes of the ABC and unlock the secrets of television and radio production.
Thereâs plenty of things to see and do:
- Meet your favourite presenters from ABC Radio Brisbane and TV News
- Try your hand at presenting the TV News weather;
- Be the first to grab Jenny Woodwardâs 2026 Weather Calendar;
- Grab a photo and cuddle with the Bananas in Pyjamas;
- See a fully restored, 1920âs 4QG Gramophone and relive 100 years of 612 ABC Radio Brisbane;
- Hang with your favourite ABC Kids characters in our colouring corner;
- Meet the Emergency Broadcasting team;
- Plus get the chance to meet ABC presenters from around the country:
- Lisa Millar from Muster Dogs (now a Gold Logie nominee)
- Costa Georgiadis from Gardening Australia
- James Glenday from News Breakfast
- Nate Byrne from News Breakfast
- Nathan and Chief from Muster Dogs
Event details:
Date: Saturday 19 July
Time: 8.45am to 3.00pm
Location: 114 Grey Street, South Bank
Surprised ABC Sydney hasnât done one to show off the new digs at Parramatta. Or one at Ultimo. Or have they done one and realised moving to Parramatta to satisfy Western Sydney was a waste of time and money.
Did you come along to ABC Melbourneâs Open House?
This morning, we opened the doors to the public as part of Melbourneâs Open House, where people can come and explore areas that are typically closed.
Attendees were able to mingle with some of the ABCâs biggest personalities, including the presenters of ABC Radio Melbourne and Radio National, our friends at ABC Sport, Gardening Australiaâs Costa Georgiadis and of course Bananas in Pyjamas.
Thank you to everyone who visited. We hope you enjoyed your time exploring the halls of the ABC Southbank studios.
Video (includes a brief look at the sets of Hard Quiz and Shaun Micallefâs Eve of Destruction)
This yearâs lecture is now available for catch up on ABC iView.
Mediaweek reports
In a sharp op-ed, Daily Telegraph columnist Tim Blair imagines an Australia without the ABC, and likes what he sees. He argues that in a modern media market full of choice, thereâs little justification for a billion-dollar public broadcaster.
Blair suggests the ABC survives more out of habit than need, calling it a âmonstrosityâ that sparks outrage whenever reform is floated.
His kicker? Defending the ABC has become a strangely conservative crusade for the progressive left.
Honestly, whatâs the value in linking to that?
News Corp wants to bin the ABC. Groundbreaking 
News Corp should be grateful for the ABC because without it theyâd have nothing to write about.
I fact that the article is paywalled (ie inaccessible) beautifully highlights the fallacy in Mr. Blairâs arguments.
News Limited have been running this argument for generationsâŚ
If the ABC wasnât around then News Corp would have less competition.
Thats the general idea.
This guy needs to get out more and meet some actual leftists.
The ABC cowers to right wingers who want to destroy it, and shy away from anything possibly being viewed as platforming actually progressive opinions and voices.
ABC celebrates 25 years of the Garma Festival
As the proud official media partner of the Garma Festival, the countryâs biggest gathering of First Nations politics and culture, the ABC will this weekend bring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, stories and culture to all Australians.
For 25 years at the Garma Festival, the Yothu Yindi Foundation has brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in north-east Arnhem Land through discussion forums, art, music, film, song, dance and exhibitions.
Yothu Yindi Foundation CEO Denise Bowden said the ABCâs coverage of the event was comprehensive and vital, âThe ABC shares the culture and conversations of Garma with a large national audience, which is so important in ensuring Yolngu voices continue to be heard, while giving Australians a better insight into the realities of life in remote Indigenous communitiesâ she said.
This yearâs theme âRom ga WaĹa WataĹuâ, or âThe Law of the Land, Standing Firmâ acknowledges the achievements of the festival, paying tribute to the many Yolngu clan leaders over the years, whose legacy continues to be felt throughout the nation.
2025 marks a key moment in Indigenous Politics. Three months on from the Australian Labor Partyâs landslide election victory, all Australians will be watching the festival for an update from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the Governmentâs direction on Indigenous Affairs and policy.
From Friday 1 August ABC News will deliver news, reporting and analysis from the Festival on all ABC NEWS platforms.
The ABC has a long history as the media partner of the Festival. In this celebratory year the national public broadcasterâs partnership will be led by Director, First Nations Strategy Kelly Williams.
Ms Williams said: âThe 25th anniversary of Garma is an important milestone and one the ABC is celebrating with coverage led by senior Indigenous journalists whose careers have grown through covering this event. It is a wonderful moment to have Bridget Brennan and Isabella Higgins leading the coverage around Indigenous affairs and Dan Bourchier doing live crosses into News Breakfast and other programs.â
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks: âIâm really looking forward to attending such an important cultural event in support of both the partnership and the ABCâs truly impressive team of Indigenous on-air presenters and management executives in the work they do for the ABC.
âWe have an important opportunity before us to strengthen the relationships we have with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and industry organisations in the telling of important First Nations stories across the ABCâs diverse range of media platforms, at a scale and with an impact that reaches as many Australians as possible.â
The Garma Festival is held at Gulkula, about 40 kilometres from the town of Nhulunbuy in North-East Arnhem Land, a prominent ceremonial place for the Gumatj clan of the YolĹu people.
ABC NEWS coverage will be overseen by Head, International and Indigenous News Suzanne Dredge and led from the Festival by a team of experienced Indigenous ABC journalists, producers, and technical specialists.
Photo credit Che Chorley/ ABC News.