‘Who is this guy?’: Channel 7 reporter faces off with an influencer during tense press event
- Replies 26
Tensions between media figures and public figures aren’t exactly rare—but every now and then, a clash unfolds that captures more than just headlines.
What began as a routine press event soon spiralled into an unexpected confrontation.
Voices were raised, cameras rolled, and questions swirled about access, authority, and accountability.
An investigation into the environmental cost of electric vehicles ended in a fiery exchange between a journalist and a prominent EV advocate.
Spotlight’s chief correspondent Liam Bartlett had been pressing Australian climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen during a media event when the confrontation unfolded.
YouTuber Sam Evans—known online as the ‘Electric Viking’—intervened to end Bartlett’s questioning, prompting the minister to walk away.
As Mr Bowen departed, Bartlett followed and asked for another opportunity to speak with him.
‘I’ve given you a very good go,’ Mr Bowen said.
Bartlett requested a further sit-down interview, which Spotlight later reported was denied.
The journalist then turned his frustration towards Evans, questioning his involvement in ending the press conference.
‘Hey mate, I don’t appreciate that,’ Bartlett told Evans.
‘I’m talking to a minister of the crown.’
Evans responded by jabbing a finger at Bartlett’s chest in footage shown during the program.
Another man stepped in, seemingly to calm tensions.
‘Who is this guy?’ Bartlett asked, referring to Evans.
‘Do you think you’re going to get anywhere by doing that?’ Evans said.
‘Who is this guy? Who is he? Who is he to step between the media and a minister of the crown?’ Bartlett repeated.
The situation escalated further.
‘Let’s go, go on, let’s go,’ Evans said.
‘Get out of my face, pal,’ Bartlett warned.
‘You got in my face,’ Evans replied.
‘You want to do it on camera? You really want to do this?’ Bartlett said.
Evans was later shown walking away from the altercation.
Evans, who has nearly 300,000 followers on social media, continued arguing with Bartlett before the encounter ended.
The confrontation occurred during the filming of Spotlight’s exposé into Chinese-backed nickel mining operations in Indonesia, which supply materials for EV batteries.
The program examined conditions at Morowali Industrial Park and Weda Bay Industrial Park, raising questions about environmental harm and worker safety.
Union official Jay Jaelani told Spotlight: ‘Our workers are dying for electric vehicles.’
Bartlett, while visiting Morowali, described the situation as dangerous.
‘There are no serious rules and regulations,’ he said. ‘There are no serious safety protocols.’
He added: ‘But if you’re serious about environmental protection, think about this: This place produces almost 11 times the amount of greenhouse gases to produce the same battery as you would for an equivalent production process in Australia, and that is why they call this dirty nickel.’
When questioned about Australia’s position on the issue, Mr Bowen said there were ongoing discussions with China.
‘It’s better to have discussions with China rather than not have discussions with China, which was the case under the previous government,’ Mr Bowen said.
He added: ‘I’ve been very clear that my preference is Australian nickel being used to make electric vehicles being sold to Australians.’
In a previous story, we witnessed another intense exchange that left viewers stunned.
Tensions flared once again when a heated clash erupted live on TV.
To see how it all unfolded, be sure to read more.
As tensions between media and public figures continue to make headlines, do you think this type of confrontation is becoming more common in today’s press conferences?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
What began as a routine press event soon spiralled into an unexpected confrontation.
Voices were raised, cameras rolled, and questions swirled about access, authority, and accountability.
An investigation into the environmental cost of electric vehicles ended in a fiery exchange between a journalist and a prominent EV advocate.
Spotlight’s chief correspondent Liam Bartlett had been pressing Australian climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen during a media event when the confrontation unfolded.
YouTuber Sam Evans—known online as the ‘Electric Viking’—intervened to end Bartlett’s questioning, prompting the minister to walk away.
Journalist and EV advocate clash during media event. Image source: Spotlight/Channel 7
As Mr Bowen departed, Bartlett followed and asked for another opportunity to speak with him.
‘I’ve given you a very good go,’ Mr Bowen said.
Bartlett requested a further sit-down interview, which Spotlight later reported was denied.
The journalist then turned his frustration towards Evans, questioning his involvement in ending the press conference.
‘Hey mate, I don’t appreciate that,’ Bartlett told Evans.
‘I’m talking to a minister of the crown.’
Evans responded by jabbing a finger at Bartlett’s chest in footage shown during the program.
Another man stepped in, seemingly to calm tensions.
‘Who is this guy?’ Bartlett asked, referring to Evans.
‘Do you think you’re going to get anywhere by doing that?’ Evans said.
‘Who is this guy? Who is he? Who is he to step between the media and a minister of the crown?’ Bartlett repeated.
The situation escalated further.
‘Let’s go, go on, let’s go,’ Evans said.
‘Get out of my face, pal,’ Bartlett warned.
‘You got in my face,’ Evans replied.
‘You want to do it on camera? You really want to do this?’ Bartlett said.
Evans was later shown walking away from the altercation.
Evans, who has nearly 300,000 followers on social media, continued arguing with Bartlett before the encounter ended.
The confrontation occurred during the filming of Spotlight’s exposé into Chinese-backed nickel mining operations in Indonesia, which supply materials for EV batteries.
The program examined conditions at Morowali Industrial Park and Weda Bay Industrial Park, raising questions about environmental harm and worker safety.
Union official Jay Jaelani told Spotlight: ‘Our workers are dying for electric vehicles.’
Bartlett, while visiting Morowali, described the situation as dangerous.
‘There are no serious rules and regulations,’ he said. ‘There are no serious safety protocols.’
He added: ‘But if you’re serious about environmental protection, think about this: This place produces almost 11 times the amount of greenhouse gases to produce the same battery as you would for an equivalent production process in Australia, and that is why they call this dirty nickel.’
When questioned about Australia’s position on the issue, Mr Bowen said there were ongoing discussions with China.
‘It’s better to have discussions with China rather than not have discussions with China, which was the case under the previous government,’ Mr Bowen said.
He added: ‘I’ve been very clear that my preference is Australian nickel being used to make electric vehicles being sold to Australians.’
In a previous story, we witnessed another intense exchange that left viewers stunned.
Tensions flared once again when a heated clash erupted live on TV.
To see how it all unfolded, be sure to read more.
As tensions between media and public figures continue to make headlines, do you think this type of confrontation is becoming more common in today’s press conferences?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
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