07-05-2025
ABC's Laura Tingle to leave political editor position on 7.30 program for global affairs editor role
The ABC's Laura Tingle is set to depart her political editor position on the broadcaster's 7.30 program after being appointed to the role of global affairs editor.
Tingle was appointed to the position after serving in her former role since 2018.
The Walkley-Award-winning journalist will leave her role mid-year, the broadcaster announced on Wednesday.
The ABC said it would be advertising for a replacement.
Boasting a 40-year career in journalism, Ms Tingle has worked across numerous mastheads including The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
The role of global affairs editor was previously occupied by John Lyons, who recently became the ABC's new Americas editor in Washington DC.
Tingle was elected the ABC staff representative on the broadcaster's board in 2021, and will keep this position.
Ms Tingle spoke about the excitement of being able to use her experience to report on major global events.
"I started my journalistic career at a time when Australia and the world were being challenged and transformed by the forces of deregulation and the freeing up of global trade," she said.
"Forty years on, we are in even more uncertain times.
'It's so important that the national public broadcaster has Australian eyes on the world, putting the significance of major global events into context for local audiences."
ABC Director, News Justin Stevens described Tingle as an 'exceptional journalist' who is able to 'help audiences make sense of the extraordinary times we're living in'.
'International reporting is a cornerstone of the ABC NEWS service. We have an outstanding group of foreign correspondents and technical specialists and Laura will add even more firepower to this busy and productive team," he said.
Tingle raised eyebrows at the Sydney Writers' Festival last year when she claimed Australia was a 'racist country' in a panel discussion on then Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's immigration policy.
'We are a racist country, let's face it. We always have been, and it's very depressing,' Tingle said, with the ABC later clarifying her comments did not meet editorial standards.
