On Saturday, it was announced that respected journalist Deborah Knight will join Georgie Gardner to host Channel Nine’s Today in 2019.
It marks a revolutionary move forward for the network – making it the first major commercial television show led completely by women.
In making the announcement, Nine’s director of news and current affairs Darren Wick said of Gardner:
“Georgie has established herself as one of the most respected presenters on television. Our viewers adore her. What you see is what you get. Authentic, caring and compassionate.”
He further said Knight is “hands-down one of the best interviewers in the country. An incredibly hard-worker, she cuts to the chase with every conversation.”
There was, however, according to former Today host Lisa Wilkinson, something slightly off in the way the news was reported in the mainstream media.
In a post to Instagram on Sunday, Wilkinson wished the new Today team the very best for the year ahead, before referencing a point made to her by her daughter.
“As my media studies student daughter noted to me, why oh why oh why, in the reporting of the new team do the ages of the women need to be pointed out, while the ages of the men are clearly regarded as irrelevant?” she asked.
“Similarly, Deb being a mum-of-three is considered significant, but Tony being a dad isn’t?
“I don’t understand. And we obviously have a long way to go when it comes to gender equity.”
The Project co-host included a photo of a newspaper article which included both Knight and Gardner’s ages, while a total of five males were named, without including their age.
Hundreds of comments on Wilkinson’s post agreed with her sentiment, acknowledging the ‘double standard’ that seems to be rife in media.
Hopefully Today‘s new panel will ultimately be a step in the right direction, with Triple J newsreader Brooke Boney also joining the team – as one of very few Indigenous women on commercial television.
In October 2017, after 10 years hosting Today, Wilkinson announced she was leaving the show.
In the same week, Annette Sharpe had reported in the Daily Telegraph that Wilkinson was being paid only half of what her co-host, Karl Stefanovic, was taking home every year.
Within hours, Wilkinson announced her new role with Channel Ten, most notably as a co-host on The Project.
Top Comments
cant stand knight so goodknight ch 9 mornings. no m ore commercial breakfast from now on
Deborah Knight is one of the nicest people on TV. How on earth could you dislike her?
If for some reason you don't like someone; that's ok. but not ok to broadcast it. this is a form of bullying.
i hardly think that a person saying they dont like her on a page such as this will affect her in any way. if it was her personal fb or twitter account, maybe, but not on a comment section she probably never looks at. bullying ? yeah right
Yes, so hard for women, what with her being paid around 5 times what her male co hosts are paid on the Project. It is just so tough with all these hurdles.
Nice change, for decades the women have propped up the men and played second fiddle to them. Now everyone is realising that pretty boys like Karl can be quite shallow. He was NEVER worth his salary.