High-profile ABC host Emma Alberici has hit back at claims she is a "bully" in an ugly Twitter brawl that even drew in former prime minister Tony Abbott.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Tuesday morning, the Lateline presenter turned to Twitter to share an opinion piece by Sky News presenter and Daily Telegraph columnist Caroline Marcus.
In her column, Marcus - who is no stranger to courting controversy with her colourful opinions - says civil rights campaigners are encouraging people like her to vote no in the government's $122 million postal survey.
The commentator also suggests children are better off being raised by a mother and father, which is incorrect. The overwhelming body of scientific research suggests children raised by same-sex couples do at least as well as those raised in heterosexual families.
"Says she'll vote NO to prove a point WTF?" Alberici tweeted. "Not very intellectually robust to say people who argue for equality are 'pushing' you to vote otherwise, but do explain how I misread that."
Marcus's Sky colleague Peter van Onselen joined in, pointing out it was ridiculous for someone to deny equal rights to their friends just to "spite" same-sex marriage activists.
Conservative commentator Miranda Devine then joined the party, citing Alberici's tweets as a "classic example of bullying". Not long after, Abbott also joined the Twitter chorus.
"I see the usual suspects are having a go at Caroline Marcus," he wrote. "Good on her for resisting the bullies."
For her part, Alberici shrugged off the "bully" label.
"Asking a question about the vulnerability of young gay and lesbian Australians has seen me labelled an activist bully," she tweeted. "Seriously?"
The argy-bargy comes amid a fierce debate about whether or not journalists should air their personal views about same-sex marriage. Last week, the ABC told staff to avoid advocating for marriage equality on social media.
