A petition seeking to ‘save Karl Stefanovic’ has emerged amid reports that the Today show star has been sacked following a controversial interview with Tommy Robinson.
Channel Nine will reportedly axe the television star from his breakfast show after Stefanovic copped backlash for his sit-down chat with the far-right activist Tommy Robinson on The Karl Stefanovic Show on Tuesday.
‘Save Karl!’ reads the petition, which has been posted to the Revive Australia website, where 1,546 signatures have been collected as of 9pm Wednesday evening – and that number is rising by the minute.
The petition calls on the Australian media to ‘Respect Karl Stefanovic’s right to conduct interviews and speak to controversial figures’ and argues that Australian viewers are ‘adults who can listen, judge and decide for themselves.’
It also seeks to ‘reject activist pressure campaigns that try to punish media figures for speaking to the wrong person’ and ‘defend the right of presenters, journalists and broadcasters to ask questions without fear.’
‘Protect a media culture where difficult conversations can still happen in the open,’ the petition urges.
A petition seeking to ‘save Karl Stefanovic’ (pictured) has emerged amid reports that the Today show star has been sacked following a controversial interview with Tommy Robinson
Revive Australia ‘aims to make necessary arguments speakable again, to create space for leadership where silence has been enforced, to support campaigns that shift what is possible, and connect Australians who are prepared to act,’ according to a description on the website.
It comes shortly after reports that Stefanovic has been dropped by Channel Nine amid the fallout from his controversial interview with Tommy Robinson.
The Today show star uploaded the controversial chat with the British far-right activist to his YouTube channel podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, on Tuesday, only to delete it a short time later after facing widespread backlash.
On Wednesday evening, The Australian reported that Stefanovic has ‘almost certainly’ appeared on the breakfast show for the last time.
A source told the Daily Mail on Wednesday evening that Stefanovic is indeed ‘gone’.
The network was huddled in ’11th hour closed-door meetings’ in Sydney on Wednesday to decide the television host’s fate, the publication reports.
Stefanovic is currently on two weeks leave in the UK, with Nine set to discuss the decision with him overnight due to the time difference.
Both sides ‘are expected to call in their respective lawyers’ to ‘officially draw up a legal deed confirming the terms of Stefanovic’s departure from the network,’ The Australian reports.
‘Save Karl!’ reads the petition, which has been posted to the Revive Australia website , where 1,546 signatures have been collected as of 9pm Wednesday evening – and that number is rising by the minute
It comes shortly after reports that Stefanovic has been dropped by Channel Nine amid the fallout from his controversial interview with Tommy Robinson (right)
The TV star, who has been a Nine stalwart for some 25 years, has six months and over $1 million left to be paid on his current 12-month contract.
The Daily Mail has contacted Channel Nine and a representative for Karl Stefanovic for comment.
Stefanovic – who has been branded ‘Joe Bogan’ thanks to his attempts at replicating the success of Joe Rogan’s podcast – sparked controversy this week when he published an interview with divisive far-right commentator Robinson.
By Wednesday morning, Stefanovic’s sit-down with the British personality had mysteriously vanished from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and The Karl Stefanovic Show YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, activist group Mad F**king Witches (MFW) announced that it had launched a campaign against Stefanovic over the interview with Robinson.
The grassroots organisation is known for launching advertising boycotts against media figures, having previously targeted Kyle Sandilands.
Read the full article here
