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Journos take aim as “talentless, pert-breasted reporters” barb kicks up Twitter storm

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By Steven Raeburn, N/A

May 2, 2013 | 3 min read

A furious social media backlash has manifested itself on Twitter as reporters, broadcasters and well known journalists have taken issue with Geoffrey Barker’s column in The Age, in which he took a swipe at “talentless, pert breasted reporters”.

Broadcaster Sylvia Jeffreys

In a column entitled: "Switch off the TV babes for some real news", Barker said commercial news channels were a place "where post-pubescent babes fill TV screens with their urgent and empty chatter".

He added: "It does not much matter what the babes have to say about the mayhem and tragedy and whatever else attracts the attention of their newsrooms. What matters is how they look."

Sylvia Jeffreys (@SylviaJeffreys) of The Today Show was amongst those who aired her views challenging Barker via Twitter.

“Geoffrey Barker, please do us all a favour and JUST SWITCH OFF,” she tweeted.

“Geoffrey Barker has declined an interview on @thetodayshow tomorrow. Curling wand got his tongue, perhaps?” she added.

Jenna Price (@JennaPrice), who teaches UTS journalism and writes for The Canberra Times said: “I just want everyone to know that I thought Geoffrey Barker's piece was truly disgusting”.

Lateline presenter Emma Alberici, (@albericie), one of those singled out by Barker as a role model “whose outstanding work shows how the job should be done” did not relish becoming the recipient of his praise.

“According to Geoffrey Barker you need to be older & unattractive to command respect as a female journo. Silly man,” she said.

Virginia Trioli (@LaTrioli), presenter on ABC News Breakfast agreed with her compatriot.

“Geoff Barker may prefer journalists of my vintage but I think this is a nasty unkind attack on young women reporters,” she tweeted.

“Important discussion to be had about education, training, support of good journalism/ists. Geoff Barker's personal attack doesn't help,” she added.

Tweeter @erin_mmiller said: “Hey Geoffrey Barker, those women you see on the TV? They're there because they work bloody hard and are passionate about news. End of.”

Chris Kenny (@chriskkenny) columnist of The Australian and host of the Staurday Agenda on Sky News offered his own theory about Barker’s views on female reporters.

“Right now Geoffrey Barker settles down in front of the TV for a couple of hours of perv.....sorry... catching up on the news,” he said.

And Mike Hopkin (@mikehopkin), Perth reporter for Sky News said: “If Geoffrey Barker is worried about media dumb-down, shouldn't he be having a crack at editors, rather than sexist ranting about "babes"?”

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