The ABC's Reply-All Email Debacle: How an Email About the Women's World Cup Sparked Chaos
Key Highlights :
For most people, sending out an email to their colleagues is a mundane task. But when the ABC sent out an email to all staff on Thursday about covering the FIFA Women's World Cup, it sparked a chaotic chain reaction.
Daily Mail Australia has obtained images of the email and some of the replies, which quickly devolved into a reply-all deluge. As staff asked to be removed from the list, Deputy Director Gavin Fang sent a stern reply, while staff took to social media to comment on the incident.
The email was sent out by sports journalist Amanda Shalala, who wrote: “I’ve set up this DG to hopefully capture everyone who needs to be across our Women’s World Cup coverage. And if you don’t, please ignore and delete!” The email then went on to detail instructions about reporting on the major sporting event.
However, the email quickly spiraled out of control as staff began replying-all to ask to be removed from the list. Deputy Director Gavin Fang had a more prickly response, writing: “Please stop the reply all on this DG. That’s the nature of working inside a news organisation where we communicate with each other via emails about the logistics of covering news events. If you continue to get the email and you don’t want to, just put a block on it.”
ABC staff took to Twitter to express their frustration and amusement at the disruptive email chain. Radio National Drive host Andy Park asked: “Is the ABC alone in using email for internal communications and external ones? The reply all apocalypse now clogging the broadcaster’s servers reminds me there must be a better way…”
Other Twitter users joined in the discussion with one declaring: “Evidently the biggest news story of the day is the ABC reply-all email incident”.
The incident serves as an important reminder of the importance of effective communication within an organisation. While emails are often the most convenient way to send out information, it’s important to consider who needs to receive the information, and to be mindful of the potential for chaos if a reply-all is sent out.
It’s also important to ensure that staff are aware of the rules and protocols for replying to emails, and that senior staff are available to respond to any issues that arise. In this case, Deputy Director Gavin Fang was able to shut down the row and prevent further disruption.
The incident at the ABC serves as a reminder that effective communication is essential for any organisation, and that it’s important to be mindful of the potential for chaos when sending out emails.
