60 Minutes crew face blame and backlash

The 60 Minutes crew may have escaped a Lebanese trial but they will face an angry court of public opinion when they arrive back in Australia.

On social media people are dismayed the Nine Network crew, along with Brisbane mum Sally Faulkner, walked free from a Beirut jail after 14 days behind bars.

The crew, including presenter Tara Brown, were arrested on kidnapping and assault charges after filming Faulkner's botched attempt to snatch her children from her estranged husband Ali Elamine as part of a bitter custody dispute.

They were released on bail on Wednesday after Mr Elamine dropped charges, prompting the tide of public opinion to turn from concern to condemnation.

Many blame Nine for the debacle, which saw Ms Faulkner give up custody rights to her children in the release deal with Mr Elamine.

"Congrats to #60mins crew on their freedom, but what about the destruction they've left behind? A mother's plight worsened simply for ratings," Sumeyya Illanbey wrote on Twitter.

Others have also drubbed the show for chasing an ethically dubious story that violated another country's laws and endangered people's lives.

"You're no James Bond, you're a disgrace to Australia," Georgette Duncan wrote on the show's Facebook page.

"You weren't supported, you should read the news not create it."

Widely-held assumptions around Nine paying Mr Elamine to drop the case, and hiring the professional child recovery agency which staged the kidnap have also inflamed the backlash.

"#60mins didn't get caught up in story. They authored it and funded it. New low in tabloid rubbish," a Twitter user said.

Some have accused Nine of abandoning the hired members of the agency, who still remain in jail.

"The poor folk you employed to kidnap are still in custody. Shame shame shame," said another user.

However others have commended the journalists for their bravery in "just doing their jobs".

"Pay no attention to the ignorant cowards who have spoken so poorly about you. Hold your heads high and enjoy your special reunions with your loving families," Gina Morris wrote.

Nine's CEO Hugh Marks announced on Thursday the network would hold an internal inquiry into the saga to see how it had all gone wrong.

"It is important to reiterate that at no stage did anyone from Nine or 60 Minutes intend to act in any way that made them susceptible to charges that they breached the law or to become part of the story that is Sally's story," he said.

"But we did become part of the story and we shouldn't have."