Lisa Joy Millar (born 19 February 1969[citation needed]) is an Australian television news presenter and journalist.

Lisa Joy Millar
Born (1969-02-19) 19 February 1969 (age 55)
Gympie, Queensland, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Television presenter, journalist
EmployerAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
TelevisionBack Roads
RelativesClarrie Millar (father)

Millar has previously co-host of the ABC's breakfast program News Breakfast alongside Michael Rowland.

She has previously been a foreign correspondent for ABC News based in London and Washington DC.

Career

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Millar began her journalism career in newspapers, with a cadetship for The Gympie Times and then Brisbane's afternoon tabloid newspaper, The Sun, until it closed down in late 1991.[1]

She next moved north to Townsville, where she worked for the regional television broadcaster, WIN TV, for a year, after which she crossed to the ABC as its North Queensland correspondent,[2] covering a large area stretching from Torres Strait to the outback mining community of Mount Isa, and down to the Whitsunday island chain.[citation needed] Millar then worked in the Federal Press Gallery in Canberra for the ABC, including during the 1996 Federal Election campaign.[3]

Millar moved back to Queensland where she became ABC's state political reporter, covering the rise of Pauline Hanson and her party, One Nation.[citation needed] She was elected president of the 30-strong Brisbane press gallery and was co-anchor of the ABC's state election coverage in 1998 and 2001.[citation needed] She also reported for ABC Radio in Queensland, hosted the Queensland edition of Stateline[2] and was a regular commentator on Queensland issues for 702 ABC Sydney.

In 2001, Millar was assigned as the ABC's North American correspondent, based in Washington, before returning to Australia in 2005. She was part of the team that won the 2005 Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism for the story that discovered Vivian Solon in the Philippines.[4]

In 2007, Millar was awarded an Ochberg Fellowship by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma for creating a DVD to assist journalists who experience grief or trauma.[5][6]

In July 2009, Millar returned to Washington to become the ABC's North American Bureau Chief and held that position for six years.[7][8] In 2012, she spent several months on assignment to the ABC's Europe bureau in London, covering the Olympic Games and other major stories, before returning to the Washington bureau.

In April 2015, ABC announced that Millar would replace Philip Williams as Bureau Chief of the ABC's London bureau from September.[9] In October 2018, Millar returned to Australia to take up a roving reporter/presenter role with the ABC.

In December 2018, Millar joined News Breakfast as co-host while Virginia Trioli was on long service leave. She filled in on the program until Trioli returned in March 2019.[10] From August 2019, Millar became Trioli's permanent replacement as co-host of News Breakfast.[11]

In June 2022, Millar apologised after viewers took offence at her comments during a discussion about racism in sport.[12] While discussing Nick Kyrgios' allegations that he was subjected to racial taunts at the Stuttgart Open, Millar appeared to suggest that there would be some people who would assert that athletes such as Kyrgios should be able to ignore taunts from spectators.[13]

Millar narrated the ABC reality television series Muster Dogs in 2022 and 2024.[14]

In July 2024, Millar announced she will leave News Breakfast, to focus on other projects across the ABC. Her last show will be on 23 August.[15]

Writing

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Millar is the author of two books: Daring to Fly, a memoir, published by Hachette Australia in September 2021;[16] and Muster Dogs, a companion book to the Australian reality TV show of the same name, published by HarperCollins in January 2024.[17]

Twitter abuse

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In September 2021, Millar deactivated her Twitter account due to "voluminous daily bullying, including trolling about her late father"[18] according to ABC colleague Leigh Sales. Millar said that while Twitter remains a useful platform for breaking news, she struggled to balance that against the high level of animosity personally directed towards her on the site.[19] She also said the barrage of abuse she received on Twitter was "very wearing".[19] Millar is one of a number of Australian media personalities who have been victims of personal abuse directed at them on Twitter.[20] Notably, Q+A host Hamish Macdonald also left Twitter in January 2021 due to the abuse he received on the platform, before leaving the talk program entirely in July 2021.[21]

Despite leaving Twitter, Millar has continued to be the focus of trolls who regularly abuse and attack her on social media.[22]

In March 2023, Millar was the subject of commentary, which she described as "obnoxious" and "foul disgusting personal abuse", relating to what she wore while co-hosting News Breakfast on 6 March 2023.[23] The ABC also criticised The Daily Mail and news.com.au for their stories about the abuse Millar received on social media which included publishing screenshots. In a statement, the ABC said: "If Daily Mail Australia and news.com.au were genuine in their concern about such behaviour they wouldn’t amplify it by republishing the comments they describe as “vile” and “sickening”, accompanied by a screenshot. Giving anonymous social media bullies publicity on a national platform is participating in perpetuating antisocial behaviour and the very serious issue of online abuse of women."[24]

Personal life

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Millar grew up in the small country town of Kilkivan in Queensland; her father was the National Party MP Clarrie Millar.[19]

References

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  1. ^ Neil, Elizabeth (26 August 2021). "Lisa Millar talks Gympie life in new book Daring to Fly". The Gympie Times. Gympie: News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b Lallo, Michael (19 June 2019). "From Melrose Place to morning TV: When mates become colleagues". Entertainment. The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  3. ^ Levey, Erle (4 March 2022). "Learning to fly". Gympie Today. Gympie. Retrieved 8 June 2024 – via NewsBank. Having worked in the Federal Press Gallery in Canberra for the ABC, including during the 1996 Federal Election campaign,
  4. ^ "2005 Walkley winners". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: John Fairfax Holdings. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  5. ^ Ricketson, Matthew (28 September 2007). "Sick 'em, boys". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Debrief on trauma. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Ochberg Fellows". Dart Center. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  7. ^ Millar, Lisa (26 July 2009). ABC reporter returns to the USA (Audio). Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  8. ^ "About". PM. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Lisa Millar. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  9. ^ Jackson, Sally (23 April 2015). "ABC names Philip Williams as Chief Foreign Correspondent" (Press release). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  10. ^ Knox, David (19 March 2019). "Virginia Trioli returning to News Breakfast". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  11. ^ Johnson, Natasha (18 June 2019). "Lisa Millar replaces Virginia Trioli as Michael Rowland's co-host on ABC News Breakfast". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  12. ^ Knox, David (14 June 2022). ""I'm human. We mess up": Lisa Millar apologises over racism in sport comment". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  13. ^ Epstein, Jackie (14 June 2022). "ABC TV presenter Lisa Millar says she 'regrets' her Nick Kyrgios racism comments". Herald Sun. Melbourne: News Corp Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  14. ^ Knox, David (12 January 2024). ""It's a hit!": The TV phenomenon that is Muster Dogs". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Lisa Millar to farewell ABC News Breakfast". ABC News. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  16. ^ Millar, Lisa (1 September 2021). Daring to Fly. Hachette Australia. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  17. ^ Millar, Lisa (1 January 2024). Muster Dogs From Pups to Pros. HarperCollins. ISBN 9781460716656. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  18. ^ Sales, Leigh (14 September 2021). "Bullying on Twitter has become unhinged. It's time to call out the personal, sexist attacks". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  19. ^ a b c Quinn, Karl (17 September 2021). "'I wasn't looking to make a fuss': Why journalists are giving up on Twitter". Harassment. The Age. Melbourne: Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  20. ^ Knox, David (17 September 2021). ""I do 15 hours of live TV a week": Lisa Millar reflects on quitting Twitter". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  21. ^ Quinn, Karl (21 August 2021). "'It was pretty isolating': Why Hamish Macdonald left Q+A to return to The Project". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  22. ^ Patrick, Aaron (7 October 2022). "Bullying of Lisa Millar shows why Twitter is broken". Australian Financial Review. Sydney: Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  23. ^ Riga, Jessica (8 March 2023). "ABC presenter Lisa Millar responds on air on International Women's Day to 'disgusting' social media commentary and trolling". ABC News. Sydney: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  24. ^ Jackson, Sally (7 March 2023). "Statement on stories by news.com.au and Daily Mail Australia". About the ABC. Sydney: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
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Media offices
Preceded by News Breakfast
Co-host with Michael Rowland

19 August 2019 – 23 August 2024
Succeeded by
Bridget Brenna