Stan Grant has accused the ABC of "institutional failure", saying the organisation did not publicly defend him amid a storm of racist abuse which has forced him to step away from hosting Q+A.
In his weekly column published on Friday, Grant said that since appearing as a guest as part of the ABC's coverage of the coronation of King Charles he had been subjected to intense abuse inspired by distorted media coverage and had "had enough".
"I am writing this not because I think it will make a difference. No doubt the haters will twist this too and trigger another round of racism," he said.
"I am writing this because no-one at the ABC — whose producers invited me onto their coronation coverage as a guest — has uttered one word of public support.
"Not one ABC executive has publicly refuted the lies written or spoken about me. I don't hold any individual responsible, this is an institutional failure."
Grant also called out the role of other media outlets, saying he had "seen people in the media lie and distort my words".
He said he did not know when he would return to his role.
"This is the last column I will write for the ABC for a while," he wrote.
"On Monday night I will present my Q+A program then walk away. For how long? I don’t know.
"I don’t take time out because of racism. I won’t give racists the satisfaction.
"I don’t take time out because the ABC was wrong to discuss the legacy of colonisation and empire on the day of the coronation. We did that, I believe, with maturity and respect.
"I take time out because we have shown again that our history — our hard truth — is too big, too fragile, too precious for the media."
Grant said he "valued the friendship" of ABC News director Justin Stevens, who he said was "trying to change an organisation that has its own legacy of racism".
"But he knows I am disappointed. I am dispirited," he wrote.
In a statement, Stevens said: "Over many months, but particularly in recent days, Stan Grant has been subject to grotesque racist abuse, including threats to his safety. This has become particularly virulent since he appeared as part of the ABC's coronation coverage.
"It is abhorrent and unacceptable.
"Stan is one of Australia's best and most respected journalists and broadcasters. The ABC stands by him and condemns the attacks directed towards him. The ABC has and will continue to refer any threats to police."
Addressing the controversy over the coronation coverage, Stevens said: "Stan Grant was one of a range of panellists who appeared during the 6 May coronation coverage at the invitation of the ABC.
"The responsibility for the coverage lies with ABC News management, not with Stan Grant. Yet it is he who has borne the brunt of a tirade of criticism, particularly in the usual sections of the media that target the ABC.
"Reporting on his contribution to the panel discussion has been unfair, inaccurate and irresponsible. It has contributed to fuelling horrendous personal and racial abuse.
"Any complaints, criticism — or vitriol — regarding the coverage should be directed to me, not to him."
Read the full statement from Justin Stevens here.
Abuse amounts to 'relentless racial filth'
Grant said that when he "pointed out that the Crown represents the invasion and theft of our land" during the coronation coverage, he had been speaking with love rather than hate.
"I repeatedly said that these truths are spoken with love for the Australia we have never been," he wrote.
"We cannot live in the fantasy Australia that pretends we have transcended this history. We owe it to ourselves to be better."
He said being subject to hate was not new, acknowledging that the ABC had already lodged a complaint this year with Twitter "about the relentless racial filth" he was subjected to.
"On social media my family and I are regularly racially mocked or abused," he wrote.
"Barely a week goes by when I am not racially targeted. My wife is targeted with abuse for being married to a Wiradjuri man.
"I don't even read it yet I can't escape it. People stop me in the street to tell me how vile it is. They tell me how sorry they are.
"Although I try to shield myself from it, the fact it is out there poisons the air I breathe."
One of Australia's most high-profile journalists, Grant has hosted Q+A since August last year.
A former CNN correspondent, he has previously been ABC's global affairs and Indigenous affairs analyst.
Speaking from Japan where he is attending the G7 conference, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wished Grant well.
"Stan Grant is someone who has my respect, and I wish him well," he said.
"I think we need to be really cognisant in the lead-up to the [Voice to Parliament] referendum that will be held in the fourth quarter of this year about some of the hurtful comments that have been made."
Mr Albanese said he knew from his own social media use that people made comments that were "completely out of line".
"We can have respect for different views without engaging in vilification, and that's important," he said.
