Brooke Boney tells racism inquiry about 'menacing' threats

The topic is racism.

It is Thursday, 6 August 2026, at 2:36 pm.

It is Thursday, 6 August 2026, at 5:39 pm.

Brooke Boney says First Nations people get a lot of abuse when they share their thoughts.

In short:

Brooke Boney left her job in media because she got many scary threats.

Marissa Williamson Pohlman said Boxing Australia threatened her.

What's next?

The inquiry will end tomorrow and give its final report by the end of the year.

Brooke Boney had to leave her job because of scary threats.

Brooke Boney said the public backlash she got for talking about Australia Day was one reason she left her job.

She said she was just sharing her view, not trying to force it on others.

Brooke Boney got threats and her email and home address were shared online.

She said it was very scary when these threats happened.

Brooke Boney said racism makes First Nations people think twice before speaking up.

She said this leads to fewer perspectives in public discussions.

Brooke Boney said she is not speaking up as much as she used to because of racism.

She said this is a problem because silence should not be the price of participating.

Narelda Jacobs called for anti-racism training in newsrooms.

Narelda Jacobs said news in Australia often shows negative stereotypes of Indigenous people.

She said the media often shows Indigenous people in a bad light.

Narelda Jacobs said she has been part of the problem.

Brooke Boney said the media often uses 'racial narratives' when talking about Indigenous issues.

She said racism can be subtle, like showing too many negative images.

Narelda Jacobs said the current system does not hold media outlets accountable for spreading hate and racism.

She said there are no consequences for media outlets that spread hate.

Narelda Jacobs said media outlets keep publishing hateful content because it gets attention.

She said she has experienced racism in the industry, especially during the 2023 Voice referendum.

Narelda Jacobs said media outlets prioritize legal training over anti-racism training.

John Paul Janke has a lot of experience in journalism.

John Paul Janke said he has seen a lot of online racial slurs and abuse against First Nations people.

He said NITV had to leave Twitter because of racist abuse.

John Paul Janke said racism is often tolerated by social media platforms and publishers.

Public broadcasters gave evidence, but other outlets did not.

The committee chair said many media outlets were invited to appear but declined.

Kelly Williams said the ABC is making changes after a review into racism in the organization.

Kelly Williams said the ABC has accepted all recommendations to address racism.

The ABC's Bridget Caldwell-Bright and Kelly Williams gave evidence.

NITV said it saw a big increase in negative comments on its social media pages.

Tanya Denning-Orman said NITV had to pay to moderate online content to protect staff.

She said staff are harmed by constantly seeing racist comments.

Tanya Denning-Orman urged the government to make social media platforms remove harmful content.

Athletes are fighting for a fair go on and off the field.

The inquiry heard that elite sporting organizations are not safe for First Nations athletes.

Marissa Williamson Pohlman said Indigenous athletes face racism both on and off the field.

She said she has spent a lot of energy fighting for a fair go.

Marissa Williamson Pohlman said she has experienced racism in her sporting career.

A Boxing Australia official threatened her if she carried the Aboriginal flag.

Marissa Williamson Pohlman said institutions only celebrate Indigenous excellence when it's convenient.

She said she faced many roadblocks trying to pursue complaints.

Marissa Williamson Pohlman wants an independent investigation into Boxing Australia.

She said sporting federations investigate themselves, which is a problem.

The ABC contacted Boxing Australia for comment.

Representatives of the Fitzroy Stars said they experienced racism from competitors and coaches.

Esme Bamblett said racism complaints should be adjudicated by people with lived experience.

She said all-white sporting tribunals cannot be impartial.

Tanya Hosch said the responsibility of dealing with racism should not be on those who experience it.

She said she has experienced racism in many workplaces.

Tanya Hosch said it's disappointing that many government departments declined to appear at the inquiry.

She said the federal inquiry is one of the few positive developments.

Lidia Thorpe said the AFL and NRL declined to appear at the inquiry.

The parliamentary inquiry into racism was announced after some violent incidents.

The final report is due to be tabled in parliament by the end of the year.

See more ABC coverage.

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