“Building” singular. So Ultimo? Parramatta?
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Ultimo.
Through a number of Freedom of Information requests, @Blackbox has obtained correspondences between ABC management about the proposed close down of local newsrooms over Easter.
Media McKnight can reveal a text exchange between former Head of News Justin Stevens and (ABC’s Head of Regional, Rural and Metro News) Donna Field. After trying to call her, Stevens texted that he wanted to revert to “what we usually do with TV over Easter” — one national bulletin. Field replied that it would “be a bit to unpick now,” but that they’d do it “if that is the decision.”
By “he,” I can only assume Stevens meant Managing Director Hugh Marks. And “what we usually do over Easter” means national bulletins over two days, not four.
That, to me, is proof positive the ABC changed its plans.
And then there’s this: when I first emailed the ABC about the tip I’d received, the first thing their comms team said was: “Let’s discuss offline.”
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Paywall article in The Age/SMH today
This is weird:
On his first day this week, Robinson gave a big hint in a note to all staff as to how he will reorganise the newsroom. He argued they should do a live cross or interview well once, instead of multiple times for different programs
that’s less content. live reporting will be done once, put on the cloud and looped
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The BBC and Sky News model. A look live from 2pm at 2am? Go ahead.
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They already run look lives all afternoon and evening on the news channel. However I don’t see how they could run the same interview across local radio - eg something on 774 and 702 mornings despite obviously having different presenters.
A big opportunity in this would be NB and the NC going back to taking studio interviews from RN, 702 and 774. In the first few years of NB it would regularly cross to a radio studio to pick up an interview. Them stopping that has actually made NB a worse program. It was also a good promo for RN Breakfast/AM/local radio.
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NB simulcasting RN Breakfast’s main 7:30am political interview is a no-brainer for me considering how frequently that sets the agenda for the day in politics.
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Also radio interviews seem more robust and rigorous for some reason
The ABC spent more than three months secretly plotting to oust its national news director, Justin Stevens, before finally getting around to informing him that he had made the difficult decision to resign at the end of May.
Diary can reveal the broadcaster first approached its freshly installed head of news, Simon Robinson, about taking on the handsomely paid, $670,000-a-year job all the way back on February 26 this year – three months to the day before Stevens announced he had unexpectedly “resigned” just shy of his 20th anniversary with the media organisation.
The ABC formally interviewed Robinson – then based in London as Reuters executive editor – for the post on March 23 before officially offering him the position two months later on May 20, not-so-incidentally around the same time Stevens abruptly disappeared from the public broadcaster’s Ultimo headquarters in inner Sydney on unplanned leave.
ABC’s Pacific news coverage recognised by Lowy Institute
Photo source: The Lowy Institute
The ABC’s leading role in reporting on Pacific and international affairs has been recognised by the Lowy Institute. Stephen Dziedzic, from ABC NEWS’ International and Indigenous team, won the top prize, the 2026 Lowy Institute Media Award, for his in-depth coverage of global affairs and the Australian Government’s policy and deal making with Pacific Island nations.
Groundbreaking ABC two-part investigation Foreign Correspondent: Cartel Paradise was also shortlisted as a finalist for this year’s award. It was reported by Senior Reporter Stephanie March and Pacific Local Journalism Network (PLJN) correspondents Lice Movono (Fiji), Chrisnrita Aumanu-Leong (Solomon Islands) and Marian Kupu (Tonga), from the ABC’s Asia Pacific Newsroom.
Dziedzic said: “It’s great to see the Lowy Institute recognise the ABC’s commitment to the Pacific and the work we do every day bringing stories from the region to people in Australia and beyond.
“I was delighted that my Pacific colleagues were also nominated for their groundbreaking work on Cartel Paradise, which has had an enormous impact across the Pacific. I also owe much of the credit for this award to them.
"Most of the stories the ABC has broken about Australian statecraft in the Pacific over the last year have been collaborative, drawing in our network of reporters across the region. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve lent on their expertise and contacts to help bring these stories to light.”
Since 2013, the Lowy Institute Media Award has celebrated Australian journalists for exceptional reporting on international affairs, underscoring their important role in delivering world news to domestic audiences.
Director ABC NEWS Simon Robinson said: “This award from the Lowy Institute recognises the amazing work that the ABC is doing in covering the Pacific, a story we are well placed to tell.”
“My congratulations to Stephen and to Stephanie, Lice, Chrisnrita and Marian for their nomination and tremendous work in championing Pacific storytelling. The ABC is committed to these opportunities for cross-team collaboration that deliver high-quality journalism."
Review of Harm and Offence guidelines
The ABC has completed a review of its Editorial Policies guidance on content that may cause harm or offence.
As the guidance sets out, the ABC has Charter obligations to provide comprehensive and innovative broadcasting services. Fulfilling these obligations necessarily involves fearless broadcasting, a willingness to take risks, and the capacity to experiment creatively. This can result in the publication of challenging content that has the potential to cause harm or offence. However, this should not be done gratuitously.
The new guidance recognises the importance of meeting community standards, including around depictions and descriptions of violence.
The updated guidance also draws a clearer distinction between how these standards should be employed in different ways across news and non-news content.
In Queensland tonight, Mackenzie Colahan presented sport from Caxton Street. Also a cross to reporter Jessica Stewart at the MCG holding the AFL Premiership Trophy. Jacqui McLaren on the weather preview with some Grand Final forecast tailored graphics, and a number of Kylie Minogue song titles peppered in her script.
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The ABC has axed what was left of its standalone Stateline news packages as well as its special weekend extended news stories as part of a push to make nightly news bulletins shorter and sharper, On Background can reveal.
While the new director of News Simon Robinson began at the ABC just last month, the changes were made before then, On Background hears. Robinson has said he will sit and observe for some time before enacting change of his own, but change waits for no one.
All of this forms part of a revamp of the ABC’s nightly bulletins, which also includes a move to ensure no single package is longer than one minute and 40 seconds, more closely aligned with what you might see on the likes of 7News or Nine News.
The Saturday and Sunday extended packages, known internally as “special reports”, were informally axed over the winter months. These were usually around five minutes long and ran across national bulletins.
An ABC spokesperson confirmed the changes, and said that axing the extended reports allows the ABC to do more stories per program.
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If it means more LOCAL stories than yes, this is good.
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A shame as I could have seen a place on the Friday 7:30 schedule for a standalone Stateline show focused on State issues across Australia but as a national show. It would have informed people from different states issues that are relevant to them and how each jurisdiction was fixing it.
7:30 mainly has a national and international focus and the local news bulletin silos all local issues to each state. A missed opportunity to revive a brand at a cheaper cost than the original state by state model.
Agreed.
But complex issues sometimes need more than 1 min 40 seconds to explain in sufficient detail, including some local stories.
This sounds like a dilution of ABC’s most valuable output to me.
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it won’t.
the revised Stateline was alwayls half-arsed anyway so no loss… we’d see Qld Stateline in SA??
I was more referring to the introduction of the packages being no longer than 1 minute 40 seconds. I had hoped that meant more time for more packages but upon reflection I’m sure it’ll just be more national/ international news rather than an increase in local state news.
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oh for sure!