Stan Grant speaks during the Anthony Mundine media conference at the Cruise Bar. Photo / Getty Images
Stan Grant speaks during the Anthony Mundine media conference at the Cruise Bar. Photo / Getty Images
Stan Grant has announced that he will be standing down from ABC on account of ongoing racial abuse, news.com.au reports.
The Wiradjuri host received backlash for his opinions on the monarchy, particularly after the journalist covered King Charles’ coronation on May 6.
“Stan Grant will stop hosting Q+A after Monday’s episode and pause other commitments, citing racist abuse he has received,” ABC News shared on Twitter on Friday.
Grant revealed in an essay that the media’s response to his coverage of the royal event, as well as ABC executives’ decision to not speak out on behalf of the journalist amid the backlash, resulted in his taking a break from the show indefinitely.
The host will reportedly moderate Q+A next Monday before leaving the show.
He said the reaction of the public, as well as ABC, to his coronation coverage had been hurtful.
Stan Grant participates in The Vigil as part of the Sydney Festival on January 25, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Photo / Getty Images
“Not one ABC executive has publicly refuted the lies written or spoken about me. I don’t hold any individual responsible; this is an institutional failure,” he shared.
“Since the King’s coronation, I have seen people in the media lie and distort my words. They have tried to depict me as hate-filled. They have accused me of maligning Australia,” Grant wrote in the essay.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. My ancestors would not allow me to be filled with hate.
“I was invited to contribute to the ABC’s coverage as part of a discussion about the legacy of the monarchy.
“I pointed out that the Crown represents the invasion and theft of our land. In the name of the Crown, my people were segregated on missions and reserves. Police wearing the seal of the Crown took children from their families. Under the Crown our people were massacred.”
Grant’s essay, which elucidated his reasoning for stepping down, included criticism of the media and the racism that he had been a victim of.
“I don’t take time out because of racism — I won’t give racists the satisfaction. I don’t take time out because I believe the ABC was wrong to discuss the legacy of colonisation and empire on the day of the coronation,” he wrote.
“We did that, I believe, with maturity and respect.
“I take time out because we have shown again that our history — our hard truth — is too big, too fragile, too precious for the media. The media sees only battle lines, not bridges. It sees only politics.”
Grant, while announcing his step down from the programme, hasn’t revealed if or when he will return.
Stan Grant attends the Sydney gala screening of The Australian Dream at the Art Gallery Of NSW. Photo / Getty Images
There has been a large array of support - and backlash - following Grant’s announcement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shared his opinion on the matter, saying the decision of one of the most prominent Indigenous Australians to step down was telling, especially with the Voice referendum coming up this year.
