The ABC has been swept into a media storm after The Australian revealed an internal staff email that appeared to make a pointed reference to Nine reporter Danika Mason following her widely discussed Winter Olympics live cross on Wednesday.
According to the publication, the message was part of a daily internal bulletin sent to employees covering the broadcaster’s activities at the Games.
The email thread, titled ‘Winter Olympics Content’, included updates from the network’s team in Livigno, Italy, as well as light-hearted mentions of an ‘ABC Snowman’ created during the coverage.
However, Thursday’s edition included a tongue-in-cheek line suggesting the snowman may have ‘been out late last night with a rival network’s presenter’ – a remark seen as a clear nod to Mason’s headline-making appearance on Today with hosts Karl Stefanovic and Jayne Azzopardi.
The message, understood to have been distributed to around 1,800 staff, was accompanied by a photo of the snowman looking noticeably worse for wear, with drooping features and an uneven grin.
The image contrasted with an earlier internal update showing the snowman intact and freshly built.
The ABC has been drawn into a media storm after The Australian revealed an internal staff email that appeared to make a pointed reference to Nine reporter Danika Mason following her widely discussed Winter Olympics live cross on Wednesday
The email, understood to have been distributed to around 1,800 staff, suggesting a snowman built by ABC staff may have ‘been out late last night with a rival network’s presenter’
It comes after Danika offered an on-air apology for the state she had been in during her now-infamous slurring live cross, admitting she had been drinking.
‘And guys, just before we do go, I just want to take a moment if that’s okay, just to apologise,’ she said at the end of her live cross on Thursday.
‘I also wanted to say thank you for everyone who has reached out. I’m okay. Probably just a little bit embarrassed.
‘Look, I totally misjudged a situation. I shouldn’t have had a drink. And especially in these conditions.
‘It’s cold. We’ve got altitude. And not having had dinner probably didn’t help as well. But I want to take full responsibility. It’s not the standard that I set for myself.
‘So in saying that, I am genuinely sorry.’
Viewers have since taken to social media to praise the journalist following the on-air mishap.
‘Good for her she owned it and fronted up. A quality presenter and reporter,’ one fan said on Facebook.
Pictured is the snowman built by ABC staff in Livigno, Italy during the Winter Olympics
‘Good on her for being an Aussie and having a drink,’ said another.
‘I love how many times Karl started the morning show hungover and still p***ed, it’s called being human.’
‘Why? She did a great job over there and they had some fun to celebrate our success. Only human and no harm done. Cheers,’ someone else commented.
Meanwhile, one fan added, ‘She’s the best. What a legend,’ while others tipped her to be the next Prime Minister or crowned Australian of the Year.
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