The Australian Broadcasting Commission has appointed Sarah Ferguson to replace Leigh Sales as the host of respected evening news broadcast, 7.30.
Sales, who announced her resignation in February, will step back at the end of June. Ferguson will join chief political correspondent Laura Tingle in presenting the show.
“Working in collaboration with the inimitable Laura is irresistible. Adding myself into that mix sounds tremendously rewarding at a time when scrutiny of power is essential, when our social structures are undergoing profound change,” Ferguson said in a statement, via the ABC.
She added of her predecessor, “On Leigh’s departure, I’d like to say that her diligence and skill have made an enormous contribution to Australian journalism. What you don’t see in her calm studio presence is the huge amount of work she does in preparation. It will be a pleasure to take over from such a pro.
Ferguson went on to discuss what she wants to bring to the slot, “Public service journalism has to deliver for the Australian audience, all day, every day. No one in Australia should ever feel they have no voice.
“It’s our job to show how public broadcasting can create a place for everyone to come and debate, think deeply, be thrilled, entertained and sometimes provoked. This is the opposite of seeking to polarise in ways we are seeing in media worldwide.”
Who is Sarah Ferguson?
Ferguson has worked at the ABC for 14 years, having produced some major investigative stories for Four Corners and several documentaries.
Ferguson has actually hosted 7.30 before, taking the helm for six months back in 2013 while Sales went on leave. Up until now, Ferguson has worked as the ABC’s foreign correspondent based in its Washington bureau.
She has interviewed major international political figures including Hilary Clinton, as well as producing the 3-part television series, The Killing Season, where she deep-dived into the Rudd and Gillard governments.
The ABC’s director of news, Justin Stevens, said that Ferguson was one of Australia’s most “formidable and experienced journalists”.
“She is a forensic investigative journalist, a gifted storyteller and a truly fearsome interviewer,” he said.
Previously speaking about her passion for journalism to the ABC, Ferguson said: “It is who I am and if they outlaw journalism, I’ll be without a profession and without a lot of meaning. For me, in every moment, in every interaction I have, I want to know what’s going on.”
“This kind of work leaves deep lines in your soul,” she said.
