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Credit: <\/span>John Shakespeare<\/cite><\/p>\n Probyn, of course, has since been hired by Nine Entertainment, owner of this masthead.<\/p>\n An ABC spokesman told us the jobs were \u201cfor experienced, skilled professionals with particular digital expertise\u201d, rather than entry-level positions.<\/p>\n \u201cA huge number of Australians access their news and information on social media,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ABC is committed to serving all Australians.\u201d<\/p>\n We brought news yesterday that right-wing broadcaster Sky News had cancelled Christmas parties because it didn\u2019t want anybody loading up on festive spirit and ruining Christmas, like someone over there did last year.<\/p>\n One outfit that didn\u2019t have that problem at the end of 2022 was Optus, perhaps because it pulled right back on its once legendary soirees \u2013 the 2018 edition featured a male stripper gyrating in front of employees at Sydney\u2019s The Star \u2013 toning them down to \u201csmall-scale get-togethers\u201d as the company struggled with the fallout of the disastrous data hack. Well, this year, Optus faces another nightmare before Christmas \u2013 the big outage this month that on Monday claimed the scalp of the telco\u2019s \u201ccitizen of the world\u201d CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin<\/b>, or KBR to her friends.<\/p>\n In fairness, the departure of Bayer Rosmarin \u2013 with her slightly kooky online presence, CEO\u2019s podcasts, interviews with global sporting stars and moves such as hiring tennis legend Ash Barty<\/b> as \u201cchief of inspiration\u201d \u2013 leaves corporate Australia a little duller.<\/p>\n But there remains the question of Christmas drinks. And OK, maybe Monday wasn\u2019t the best day to ask Optus about party plans, but we did. It didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a while since anti-domestic violence charity White Ribbon was known for anything other than public relations disasters.<\/p>\n Four years ago, White Ribbon was on the brink of financial collapse and tainted by a string of controversies \u2013 accepting money from Sydney pokie den the Fairfield Hotel, before being forced to decline it; briefly claiming it was \u201cagnostic\u201d on abortion access; and the whole business with a few of its ambassadors getting in trouble for violent offences.<\/p>\n A 2019 rebirth, backed by WA charity Communicare, hasn\u2019t stopped the missteps. A campaign last year seeking donations to help men understand violence prevention was scotched after critics dubbed it \u201csponsor an abuser\u201d. Somebody also thought a flotilla of jet skis revving their engines in Sydney Harbour might be a good strategy to raise awareness about violence against women.<\/p>\n No wonder then that faced with another public relations issue, White Ribbon has gone silent. We\u2019re talking about the abrupt, quiet departure of national director Allan Ball<\/strong>, who quit some time late last month.<\/p>\n No reasons were given, and no statement has been put up by White Ribbon.<\/p>\n Ball declined to discuss it when contacted by CBD, directing us to Communicare\u2019s chief executive Melissa Perry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t answer her phone, and hasn\u2019t replied to several earlier emails. Communicare\u2019s comms people didn\u2019t respond by deadline either.<\/p>\n Ball and White Ribbon had recently been looking into a partnership with GiveTree, a cryptocurrency start-up founded by Sam Joel<\/strong>, who quit as chief executive after posting a barrage of offensive comments towards women on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n Sam Joel, founder of GiveTree, resigned after a series of offensive LinkedIn comments.<\/span><\/p>\n We asked whether perceived backlash to the GiveTree relationship contributed to Ball\u2019s departure. They didn\u2019t answer that one either.<\/p>\n The leadership of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria might be brought to book at the group\u2019s AGM in Melbourne on Tuesday morning by the more literary members of its swank private members City Club.<\/p>\n Among the Bourke Street operation\u2019s extensive facilities is a well-stocked library \u2013 12,000 to 15,000 volumes we\u2019re told \u2013 with comfy armchairs, research desks and even a section for children. Sounds lovely.<\/p>\n Anyway, before the pandemic, the library was staffed with two to three full-time workers, augmented by a couple of part-timers. After all, the big A-frame ladder used to reach the volumes on the highest shelves couldn\u2019t be safely operated by just one person.<\/p>\n But when the club got up and running again after the lockdowns, the library was down to just one staff member and, recently, none, without a word of explanation to the regular users.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is disquiet,\u201d we\u2019re told, and complaints have been made, but without any sort of resolution to the matter, so Tuesday\u2019s AGM may be the library lovers\u2019 best bet to get some answers. We wish them well, having tried a couple of times now to ask RACV spinners what was happening with the library. Crickets is what we got.<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nPARTY LINE<\/h3>\n
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