ABC response to Sinclair Davidson in the Australian Financial Review
Sinclair Davidson writing in the Australian Financial Review has presented a basket case of inaccuracies about the role of the ABC and its value to Australians.
Mr Davidson, a professor of economics at the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub, is also listed as an adjunct fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) and is the co-author of the publication “ Against Public Broadcasting: why we should privatise the ABC and how to do it”.
His 15 January piece “The ABC no longer has a purpose” displays a lack of understanding of the critical role of public broadcasters such as the ABC in the modern media age.
And the main contention – that Australian audiences are not as reliant on ABC services as they once were – is blatantly wrong.
In 2020 Australians turned to the ABC in record numbers, highlighting its role as Australia’s most trusted and valued media organisation.
Among the audience data:
- ABC News was the nation’s #1 digital news brand every month for the past 12 months.
- ABC News’s average daily digital audience is up 79% on 2019 to 2.2 million people and its average monthly audience is 38% higher at 12.5 million.
- ABC TV was the #3 network in 2020, for the first time since 2013.
- The ABC News channel achieved its highest-ever monthly reach in March of 6.4 million viewers.
- ABC TV was the only free-to-air network to experience significant growth in reach in 2020 (up 1.4 percentage points on 2019 to 46.9%).
- ABC Kids is the #1 channel among children, achieving a share of 53% among 0-4 year olds. ABC Kids is also #1 among 5-12s during daytime, with ABC ME in 2nd place.
- ABC Radio was the nation’s #1 radio network in 2020 with a share of 25.3% (combined metro, regional and national). In total, our radio networks also reached 37.2% of listeners across the five major capitals.
- All ABC Radio networks increased their share and reach this year.
- 15 of the top 20 ABC TV programs in 2020, across broadcast and ABC iview, were Australian.
In 2021 the ABC will continue to offer audiences programs and other content that are engaging, informative and educational and continue to deliver the independent, trusted public interest journalism that is fundamental to our democracy.
In light of this audience support, it should not be surprising that former Communications Minister Richard Alston wrote in the AFR last week: “There is no one in the federal parliament who favours privatising, gutting or defunding the ABC.”
Ding ding ding! There’s the information that should automatically disqualify the article and its author from being taken seriously.
I noticed that the networks were happy to run with the IPA “research” the other day that purported to show support for keeping Australia day on 26 January. Nil to very little scrutiny of the source and methodology.
Late to the party, but can we get a fact check on this?
except Scott Morrison!
Surely between his support of Scott Cam, Guy Sebastian (when he was there anyway) and the Cronulla Sharks, our Prime Minister is most likely to have Nine as his favourite television network?
I’d imagine it’d be pretty similar for Gladys since she represents the state electorate that TCN previously had their studios in, although no doubt other Liberal MPs have Sky News as their favourite!
Australia Day? Invasion Day? Or just 26 January?
Some audience members have been asking about the ABC’s terminology in stories and coverage around Australia Day.
This is a perennial issue. As National Indigenous affairs reporter Isabella Higgins writes (“Australia Day debate is exhausting and data tells us it could last another generation”):
“Every year, January 26 rolls around, and each time the same debate about our national day floods the country’s consciousness — and for some of us it can feel tiringly predictable. The loud headlines, the hyperbolic commentary, the sense this debate won’t be quickly resolved, or that perhaps some aren’t even looking for resolution.”
The default terminology for the ABC remains “Australia Day”, as you can see here: Archived Page - ABC News
We also recognise and respect that community members use other terms for the event, including “26 January”, “Invasion Day” and “Survival Day”, so our reporting and coverage reflect that.
This is the advice that has gone to ABC program teams:
The official (ie legislated) name of this day off in January varies by jurisdiction. In NSW it is “Australia Day”. In SA it is “26 January”. In WA and Tasmania it is dual-named: “Australia Day (26 January)”. In Queensland, the NT, the ACT and Victoria, the opposite convention is found: “26 January (Australia Day)”.
Legislative use is one perspective. By way of contrast, government websites listing public holidays tend to use “Australia Day” in first reference, regardless of what the holiday is called in the relevant Act.
It is important to note, though, that both the Macquarie and the Australian Concise Oxford dictionaries list “Survival Day” and “Invasion Day” as roughly synonymous with “Australia Day”, either as “viewed by Indigenous people and their supporters” (Macquarie), or “especially in Aboriginal Australian contexts” (ACOD).
Both terms have a long history of use in this country: the Australian National Dictionary dates both to the 1980s. A precursor for both terms would be the 1938 announcement by Indigenous groups that January 26 – not then a national public holiday – be known as a Day of Mourning and Protest.
Given the variety of terms in use, and the different perspectives on the day that the ABC is going to cover over the course of the long weekend, it would be inappropriate to mandate staff use any one term over others in all contexts.
The ABC doesn’t need to be told. Has he not seen the promos running on ABC promoting its “Australia Day” coverage? There have been ads running on ABC with “Australia Day” in big bold heading.
This is how it’s listed on their website
And its official YouTube channel
Australia Day 2021 on your ABC
The theme of Australia Day this year is Reflect. Respect. Celebrate.
January 26, 2021 is a time to reflect on our history, respect the stories of others and celebrate our nation, its achievements and its people.
The ABC’s coverage of Australia Day 2021
The words Australia Day; Reflect. Respect. Celebrate. on a white background.
Marking Australia Day 2021, we acknowledge the Australian spirit and celebrate our strength, with events, news and essential Aussie viewing from around the nation.Tune into the ABC’s radio, television and online coverage of Australia Day events to reflect on, respect and celebrate all things Aussie … from the comfort of your own home.
January 25
- 7:30pm (AEDT) — Australian of the Year Awards on ABC TV + iview, ABC Local Radio, ABC News channel (Ch 24) and streamed on the Facebook pages of ABC Australia, and the ABC page in your capital city (e.g. ABC Sydney), and ABC Australia YouTube
- From 7:00pm (AEDT) — AOTY Awards on ABC Radio — Dan Bourchier from ABC Canberra will host a special outside broadcast from the Arboretum in Canberra. This will include a simulcast of the ceremony, as well as interviews before and after. Find your local station here on the ABC listen app.
January 26
- 7:30am (AEDT) — WugulOra Morning Ceremony on ABC TV + iview and streamed on the Facebook pages of ABC Indigenous, ABC Australia, and ABC Sydney and ABC Australia YouTube
- 8:30am (local time in each state and territory) — ABC Local Radio feature interview with recipient of Australian of the Year conducted by Adam Shirley from ABC Radio Canberra. Find your local station here on the ABC listen app
- 9:00am (AEDT) — Flag Raising and Citizenship Ceremony on ABC TV + iview and the ABC Australia and ABC Canberra Facebook page and ABC Australia YouTube
- 2:00pm (AEDT) — Salute to Australia on ABC TV and iview
- 5:00pm (AEDT) — “January 26” on ABC News channel (Ch 24)
- 6:00pm (AEDT) — “January 26” on ABC TV and iview and streamed on the Facebook pages of ABC Indigenous and ABC Australia YouTube
- 6.55pm (AEDT) — Governor General Address on ABC TV and iview
- 7:30pm (AEDT) — Australia Day Live Concert on ABC TV + iview, as well as ABC Australia Facebook and YouTube, ABC TV + iview Facebook, ABC Sydney Facebook, and international platforms ABC Radio Australia and ABC Australia iview (ABC NEWS stream)
perhaps the Communications Minister might tell us where the ABC has referred to Invasion Day in amongst all this?
Incidentally, ABC has offered some clarity in light of the misleading (surprise, surprise) reporting from The Australian
UPDATED 25 January: In light of some misreporting on this issue, to be abundantly clear: The ABC’s policy is to to use the term Australia Day, as it always has. As the editorial advice states, other terms can be used when they are appropriate in certain contexts. This does not mean they are used interchangeabley.
… it was the headline to an online article … which was posted yesterday at 8am and was “updated” to remove the word “Invasion” at 11am today … Australia Day is a contentious day for many. Here are the events being held on January 26 - ABC News
They sure know how to upset the snowflakes and perpetually outraged.
So The Australian’s “gotcha” was based on a headline on one web page? Which essentially was not untrue as some of the events were “Invasion Day” rallies, etc. So the headline reflected that? Anyway, if they’ve changed it, it doesn’t really matter. I mean, mission accomplished for The Australian. They get to drag ABC through the mud as part of its Monday ritual.
It’s hard to know which “side” is worse. Everyone seems so easily triggered no matter what.
yep … it’s hard to know whether the people who call themselves journalists at the ABC are really that stupid or they’re doing it deliberately as bait …
Not only that but everyone ends up being pissed off. This latest outrage is the perfect example - News Corp + the government create a misleading news cycle out of the use of ‘Invasion Day’ while the backflip today has predictably resulted in the usual suspects on Twitter claiming (among other things) that the ABC doesn’t have a ‘backbone’ anymore.
The ABC has become such a divisive element of the ‘culture wars’ that people are ready to pounce on (seemingly) anything and everything their news division does.
They can’t win either way. Whatever they do it will be triggering to someone.