Brooke Boney, the former presenter of the Today show, has revealed to the federal racism inquiry that she departed from the media sector after enduring threatening behavior, including the public disclosure of her personal email and home address. Boney stated that the backlash she faced for expressing her views on changing the date of Australia Day was a significant factor in her 2024 decision to leave, although she noted that the impact of racism had accumulated over many years.
During her testimony in Naarm/Melbourne, Boney emphasized that she was not attempting to impose her views on anyone, but rather sharing an alternative perspective that some Australians hold. She recounted receiving physical threats and explained that being a public figure often leads to personal engagement from the audience, which can escalate to doxxing of personal information. Boney described the experience as “absolutely terrifying” when these threats became a reality.
She pointed out that ongoing racism forces First Nations individuals to consider the repercussions of speaking out, which ultimately results in fewer diverse voices in public discourse. Boney expressed that her withdrawal from these discussions represents a public detriment, asserting that silence should not be the price for participation.
Similarly, journalist Narelda Jacobs testified that media narratives in Australia often reinforce negative stereotypes about Indigenous people. She criticized the tendency of news coverage to focus on dismal living conditions and criminality, admitting her complicity in these portrayals. Boney echoed this sentiment, stating that media reporting on youth crime often relies on racial stereotypes, portraying Aboriginal children as disruptive figures without valid context or data.
Jacobs further criticized the existing media regulatory framework, which she argued lacks accountability for outlets perpetuating hateful and racist content. She noted that complaints are often seen as engagement that fuels media companies’ agendas, allowing them to continue publishing provocative pieces for profit. Jacobs shared her own experiences of racism in the industry, which intensified during the 2023 Voice referendum, highlighting the issue of “both sides-ism” that forced her to present misleading information in her reporting.
John Paul Janke, the national Indigenous affairs editor for SBS/NITV, reported a concerning rise in online racial abuse aimed at First Nations individuals and their narratives. He mentioned that NITV had to exit the platform X (formerly Twitter) due to a wave of racist harassment directed at its coverage and staff, criticizing social media algorithms for amplifying such hate and calling for greater accountability from platforms and publishers.
Earlier in the inquiry, it was revealed that elite sports organizations are not providing a culturally safe environment for Indigenous athletes, with their complaint protocols found inadequate. Former Olympic boxer Marissa Williamson Pohlmann highlighted the dual burden of racism that Indigenous athletes face, both in their sports careers and in their personal lives. She lamented the energy wasted fighting for equity in sports, which detracts from her potential as an athlete.
Pohlmann, the first Aboriginal woman to represent Australia in Olympic boxing, recounted experiences of racist insults throughout her career. She disclosed that a representative from Boxing Australia had threatened her home coach with “repercussions” if she displayed the Aboriginal flag at an Olympic qualifier in the Solomon Islands. Pohlmann criticized institutions for celebrating Indigenous excellence when convenient but failing to support athletes when it truly matters, stating that while artistic expression on uniforms may be welcomed, genuine cultural safety and practices are often lacking.
She also faced significant challenges in pursuing complaints against former national coach Jamie Pittman, who is currently serving as Boxing Australia’s acting high-performance manager despite having stepped back from the Paris Olympics due to admissions of sexual misconduct.
