ABC News Breakfast co-host Virginia Trioli has had to apologise to Senator Barnaby Joyce, and viewers, after being caught on camera making a gesture she thought was off-camera.
When the camera cut from a clip of Joyce back to Trioli she could be seen twirling her finger and pulling a face that implied the Senator was loopy.
Trioli, told The Australian, “Yes, it was off-air and an uncharacteristically frustrated moment from me, and the Senator was very gracious in accepting my apology. Lesson learned.”
Senator Joyce also commented, “Maybe I am crazy. Maybe this isn’t parliament but an asylum. And if I’m not Barnaby, who am I? And then, who is Barnaby? If I am crazy, it would explain a lot about this place.”
Whaaaaa?
Last night’s Media Watch also took ABC News Breakfast to task on the matter.
“What was that?” asked Jonathan Holmes.
Source: The Australian, Media Watch
It’s irrelevant whether or not we were all thinking the same thing. The point is that her actions were completely unprofessional and given the ABC’s mandate to provide impartial reportage, totally unacceptable.
Yes, she was signifying that Joyce is crazy. And she’s not wrong!
I watch that program every morning and I remember thinking how stupid that guy was when he went on and on and I completely missed her hand signal- damn!
I need an animated gif of that lol
Of course it doesn’t matter what Virginia did – he is a coalition crank and should not be respected. The only people deserving of respect are those on the Labor side – we can understand her entirely reasonable actions, and have a laugh at those silly right wing people who are complaining. I am sure that every one whose opinion is worthwhile would agree. You see, some people are more equal than others.
Make me number 7 (Or one number higher than the last posted).
@JohnTV – ABC Breakfast has a bigger audience than all Aust’n FTA stations combined when it’s on. You see, it’s actually on Australia Network, seen from India to Samoa, Japan to Antarctica, Fiji, Singapore, Thailand, China, Philippines, New Zealand, etc., etc.
Barnaby Joyce was actually responsible for Ten’s decision in 2006 to axe BB Adults Only. He threatened to block the passage of new media ownership laws if TEN didn’t oblige, and then went and boasted about it to the media.
so she’s human after all !!! I think it’s not a red card offence….it happens!
It’s nowhere near a Karl stefanovic “incident” – and if he cant get the sack over his action, no reason to think she should either. It’s good to see barnaby joyce not making a big deal out of it too.
Oh – and guys get your numbers right – i make myself to be the 6th person
I must be fifth person then.
I found it funny. Keep her don’t fire her.
That’s just stupid.
We all do it but she got caught out. End of her career, oh wait she could pick and eat ear wax and still survive.
Everyone else knows he’s loopy. She was just confirming what we all think…albeit, she didn’t mean to do it on camera, but I doubt this will cause any sort of furore. It’ll probably just get stuck on some news blooper reel on Youtube.
@JohnTV:
That actually is a valid point. How many viewers does ABC News Breakfast generally get? I remember it got 9000 viewers on debut. Because if it isn’t really seen by many, then who really cares? lol
Though, people Do get outraged by things which haven’t even aired yet these days..
If that was me caught doing that gesture to Kevin Rudd you lot would be furious!
Typical left wing hypocrisy .
Oh please – all this fuss for a show that is see by what 5 people – and 4 of them are in the control room…
If it was Sunrise or Today which is actually seen by people, then it might be an issue – except for the fact that he is actually mad !!!!
I’m referring to her mucking round on air. It might be funny for on air talent to see what they can get away with then vision is running over them, and it often happens. But political sensitivity is important for the ABC, and impartiality is key. You just knew when you read the title of the story that it wasn’t going to be a Labor or Greens politician.
Barnaby Joyce is a self confessed redneck right wing fundamentalist, why should anyone be apologising?
Reminds me of the time the ABC America host said that then President Clinton was boring when he thought he was off air!
As for Media Watch – Oh Jonathan, there but for the grace of God go you. She should not have apologised. Should be more of it. It’s called Polywaffle. Someone makes a chocolate bar of the same name. Hard shell, mush inside, and nuts.
I don’t understand why anyone in this world has to apologise for simply telling the truth.
Proves she’s human and was thinking the same as 99.9% of her viewers.
Axed? No, I doubt it…
Oh Virginia… we were all thinking it. Gracious apology this morning though. Now bring on the paranoid right-wingers claiming it as proof of communist rule at the ABC.
If that were anyone else, wouldn’t they be axed?