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1134

Responding to Lilly Vitorovich in The Australian

In today’s edition of The Australian media reporter Lilly Vitorovich has an interview with Liberal Senator David Van calling for an “independent complaints organisation” to be set up to handle complaints against the ABC.

The report is fundamentally wrong on one obvious point. There already is an organisation separate from the ABC that considers complaints: the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

If this story had been published by the ABC it would be in breach of the ABC’s editorial standards, specifically in the area of Fair and Honest Dealing, as the journalist did not disclose her interview with Senator Van or offer the ABC a reasonable right of reply on what she intended publishing.

It’s also regrettable that the majority of the information the ABC provided was ignored by the reporter, who clearly does not understand the relevant complaints procedures.

For the record, here are the questions received from The Australian :

‘ “I’m writing a story about the editorial complaint process at the ABC for Monday’s Media section.

Re the 1500+ editorial complaints that the ABC received last year, can you say how many complaints were about the Q&A episode hosted by Virginia Trioli last year in June, which included Communications Minister Paul Fletcher? The pair discussed whether the ABC’s annual budget was cut or not.

At what point does the ABC’s complaints investigation unit Audience and Consumer Affairs unit refer a complaint matter to ACMA?

Also, are you able to say who runs the ABC’s complaints investigation unit Audience and Consumer Affairs unit? The ABC describes it as an “independent complaints investigation unit”. How is it independent when it’s within the ABC.

I’d appreciate a response by Sunday lunchtime.”

And here is the full response the ABC provided:

Our Editorial complaints management policies and processes are clearly set out in the ABC Annual Report 2020 (pages 101-102).

The ABC’s Editorial Policies, editorial reviews and complaints handling procedures are designed to ensure the highest editorial standards across all content. This approach is central to the high level of trust Australian audiences place in the ABC.

The ABC’s Audience and Consumer Affairs unit is independent of all content teams. In responding to a complaint, the Audience and Consumer Affairs unit seeks relevant information from the appropriate content team (in keeping with expectations of procedural fairness) but does not answer to content directors. The unit is authorised to issue its own determinations of whether content has breached the ABC’s editorial standards.

The ABC received 17 complaints about the Q&A (29 June 2020) episode you have referenced. Of these, 13 warranted investigation, and no breach of editorial standards were found.

Your question about ACMA indicates you don’t understand the relationship between the two organisations. Members of the public who complain to the ABC about matters covered by the ABC Code of Practice and who are dissatisfied with the ABC’s response, or who do not receive a response to their complaint within 60 days, may seek review from ACMA. The ABC does not refer matters to ACMA – complainants approach ACMA directly.

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yep … and the ABC’s response is “The ABC noted the findings, but respectfully disagreed with the ACMA’s view” … because the ABC considers itself above any broadcasting regulator …

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The inference here that a substantial volume of the ABC’s complaints would be about an appearance of the Communications Minister on Q&A is laughable.

The Australian, the nation’s only comedy broadsheet.

1137

ABC, Northern Pictures and AIDC support Indigenous creatives

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The ABC with Northern Pictures and the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) have launched an initiative to support the career development of Indigenous creatives.

The Indigenous Documentary Placement will provide a mid-career Indigenous Australian practitioner with an extended work placement with the ABC and the award-winning production company Northern Pictures, for up to eight months in Sydney.

The placement, which starts in April 2021, will enable an Indigenous practitioner to further develop their skills in documentary, factual development and production within the context of both a public broadcaster and a production company.

Michael Carrington, ABC Director Entertainment & Specialist, said: “The Indigenous Documentary Placement initiative, with Northern Pictures and AIDC, will help give a voice to the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytellers, by developing their skills within the ABC’s award-winning Factual & Culture team.

“The ABC has a proud history of backing Indigenous creatives and content on the national stage. This initiative, alongside our new Diversity & Inclusion Commissioning Guidelines, will support emerging diverse and dynamic talent, on and off screen.”

Peter Anderson, Northern Pictures Managing Director, said: “Northern Pictures is thrilled to be part of the Indigenous Documentary Placement program. This program will provide a wonderful opportunity to help an emerging Indigenous filmmaker further develop and hone their skills. During their placement at Northern Pictures they will be immersed within our award-winning creative team lead by Karina Holden, our head of factual.”

Alice Burgin, AIDC CEO and Conference Director, said: “This specialised program and placement will help create meaningful employment pathways for Indigenous practitioners and continue to support practitioners to build on their professional connections, share their own experiences and stories. We thank our wonderful friends at Northern Pictures and the ABC for making such an opportunity possible.”

Applications for the Indigenous Documentary Placement are open until Wednesday 10 March 2021. For further information, visit the Indigenous Documentary Placement webpage .

1138

ABC and Bus Stop Films support screen careers of people with a disability

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The ABC and Bus Stop Films will develop the careers of people with a disability under a new initiative to bring greater inclusion and opportunity to the Australian screen industry.

The inaugural Pathways Strategy will provide skills and experience for emerging Australian talent on both sides of the camera, ensuring more diverse faces, talents and stories are reflected and represented on Australian screens.

The ABC will fund two individuals with a disability to work with its Entertainment & Specialist content teams and with two production partners over a 12-month period, on the commissioning and development of programs across multiple genres.

The strategy will provide an opportunity for the selected production companies to work with people with a disability, increasing the diversity of perspectives in their content and broadening the talent pool for the Australian screen industry.

Participating production companies will also receive inclusive filmmaking training and support from Bus Stop Films, a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on accessible film studies, education and employment pathways for people living with disabilities.

Michael Carrington, ABC Director Entertainment & Specialist, said: “We are delighted to work with Bus Stop Films in helping Australian production companies open their doors wider, by building career opportunities, skills and experience for people with a disability.

“In line with the ABC’s new Diversity & Inclusion Commissioning Guidelines, the Pathways Strategy will enable people with a disability to share their creativity and talent with our audience, bringing greater diversity and inclusion and outstanding content to Australian screens.”

Tracey Corbin-Matchett, CEO of Bus Stop Films, said: “The Pathways Strategy is about clearing away the barriers people with disability face in gaining work within the screen industry and allowing them to add their unique insights to both sides of the camera.

“The Pathways Strategy will enact critical change within the Australian screen industry and production companies. Bus Stop is thrilled to continue championing inclusive filmmaking through our partnership with the ABC and I can’t wait to see the strategy in action.”

The Pathways Strategy underlies the ABC’s commitment under its Five-Year Plan 2020-25 to look and sound like contemporary Australia. The strategy is supported by the ABC Diversity & Inclusion Commissioning Guidelines – Screen Content and Diversity & Inclusion Plan 2019-2022.

Applications from production companies wanting to participate in the Pathways Strategy are open now and close on 12 March 2021.

Applications from individuals with a disability are open from 5 to 30 April.

Click here to apply or for more information on the Pathways Strategy.

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ABC celebrates International Women’s Day 2021

The ABC will mark International Women’s Day (IWD) on Monday 8 March 2021 with all-female line-ups and programs that celebrate the achievements of women and girls in Australia and around the world.

Most of the ABC’s radio networks, including ABC Classic, Radio National, triple j and its eight capital city stations, will feature female presenters across the day, along with female guests and artists.

ABC Managing Director, David Anderson, said gender bias and inequality were still evident in many parts of Australian society.

“Each year, International Women’s Day gives us an opportunity to focus on the issues facing women today. The ABC is uniquely placed to explore these issues and engage Australians in discussions on how we achieve gender parity and our individual contributions towards that goal It is also a day to celebrate the contributions of women in all walks of Australian life and our programming reflects that.”

Featured programs on ABC iview, ABC Radio and on the ABC’s digital and social media platforms, will explore IWD’s 2021 theme of “Choose to Challenge” – calling out gender bias and inequality.

Highlights include:

ABC Radio

A one-hour special presented by ABC Radio Sydney’s Breakfast presenter, Wendy Harmer, in conversation with Leah Purcell, Anna Bligh, Tina Arena, Dr Christine Lai, AOTY Local Hero Rosemary Kariuki and Rabbi Ellyse Borghi around the themes of power, passion and resilience. Social media platforms will also feature animated videos of their stories by young female graphic designers.

ABC iview

ABC iview will feature a collection of programs that tell the stories and achievements of women from all walks of life, including female-led dramas; documentaries featuring extraordinary women doing extraordinary things; and insightful historical documentaries in the Women’s History Month collection.

The launch of Brazen Hussies , a one-hour documentary narrated by Sigrid Thornton, celebrating the legacy of the bold women of the Women’s Liberation Movement, who re-ignited the feminist revolution in Australia.

Girls Change the World on ABC ME iview – a selection of empowering stories about inspiring girls.

Go Girls Go on ABC Kids iview – celebrating our youngest female Australians.

A collection of videos for primary and secondary students on Education on iview, celebrating the diverse achievements of women around the world.

ABC NEWS

A special Q+A episode “All About Women” brings together a diverse panel of women to discuss the big issues of the day, screening at 8.30pm on Thursday 4 March on ABC Main Channel and on iview.

Joining Hamish on the panel are Isabel Allende, internationally-acclaimed author and feminist; Susan McDonald, Queensland National Party Senator; Anne Aly, WA Labor MP; Samantha Maiden, National Political Editor; Dhanya Mani, Lawyer and former NSW Liberal Party staffer; and Kate Crawford, academic and leading artificial intelligence expert. There will also be a live performance by Somalian poet Hani Abdile.

Other coverage includes reporting on gender diversity issues by Nassim Khadem from The Business and digital features examining the true worth of women’s unpaid labour and profiling the women behind the COVID-19 vaccine. The International Women’s Day edition of ABC NEWS Channel’s The World will feature all-female guests.

ABC Classic

A four-day Festival of Female Composers starting on Friday 5 March, includes a Classic Live broadcast with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at 3.00pm on Saturday 6 March. The network will also feature an all-female presenter line-up on the day and will premiere six new works composed by Australian women, commissioned as part of the ABC’s Fresh Start Fund.

Double J and triple j

Both networks have collaborated to present a list of ‘50 Game-Changing Women of Australian Music’. Music programming across the two networks will feature all-women musicians for 24 hours across the day. Special guest co-hosts Jess Perkins and Ash McGregor will join triple j’s Drive and Lunch shows respectively and an all-female Like A Version playlist will be featured in the triple j app.

Radio National

An all-female line-up from 5.30am to midnight plus the launch of a new series of the popular Fierce Girls podcast – with more inspiring stories of some of Australia’s most extraordinary women. The first episode, narrated by Pia Miranda, tells the story of Jean Robertson and Kathleen Howell, the first women to drive across Australia.

ABC Jazz

Female artists featured on Mornings .

ABC Country

Female country music artists featured across the day.

ABC Sport

ABC Sport’s digital radio channel will focus on women’s sport.

ABC listen

Features a collection of podcasts and on-demand audio from across the ABC, including Radio National, ABC Classic, Double J and ABC Audio Studios.

Other highlights:

A special episode of the podcast series Days Like These looking at the life of Pauline Menczer, described as the “ugly duckling” of pro women’s surfing.

1140

ABC leads the way at national documentary awards

The ABC has led the way at the inaugural Australian International Documentary Conference Awards, winning five of the six content categories on offer.

The ABC’s unrivalled contribution to factual storytelling was recognised across screen, audio and online, with AIDC Award wins for The Australian Dream, Miriam Margolyes Almost Australian, My Body Says, The Eleventh and the Mt Resilience augmented reality experience.

Michael Carrington, ABC Director Entertainment & Specialist, congratulated the award winners for telling powerful and insightful stories. “The best documentaries reflect the world as it is, was and could be. They explore the big issues of this country and its people, while not shying away from the harsh truths about where we are falling short as a nation.

“These AIDC Awards are testament to the creative vision of content makers across the ABC and our production partners, and their dedication to bringing a real slice of life to our audiences.”

The internationally lauded film The Australian Dream, produced by GoodThing Productions and Passion Pictures, and commissioned by the ABC’s Regional & Local division, won the AIDC Best Feature Documentary Award for its story about Indigenous AFL legend Adam Goodes and the broader issues of race, identity and belonging.

The AIDC jury praised the film as “a story of resilience, both of a man, and a people; a stridently articulated challenge to Australia to consider the true meaning and making of its history, and a film that deserves to reach all Australians, and beyond”.

Miriam Margolyes Almost Australian , produced by Southern Pictures and distributed worldwide by ABC Commercial, won the AIDC Best Documentary/Factual Series Award for its “refreshing modern portrait of Australia”. “A feast for the senses for so many of us locked down at home,” the AIDC jury said. “A pleasure to watch for both young and old. Wonderfully feel good.”

The powerful My Body Says, produced by Mama Bear Productions, won the AIDC Best Short-Form Documentary Award for exploring the mental health, hopes and dreams of people from diverse backgrounds by examining their bodies. The documentary, which was part of the ABC Your Mental Health initiative, received funding from the ABC’s $5 million Fresh Start Fund – which supported more than 200 Australian productions and new content ideas in response to the impact of COVID-19 – and Screen Queensland.

The AIDC jury described the program as a “raw and refreshing film” that “connects the audience to the subjects weaving through light and dark, on a level of intimacy that shows depth and sensitivity in the filmmaking. We consider our own bumps and scars mirrored on screen as we are taken on a delicate journey through diversity, self-image and self-reflection.”

ABC podcast The Eleventh – an explosive thriller about the 1975 dismissal of Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam – won the AIDC Best Audio Documentary Award for making “a significant moment in political history accessible to a wide audience”.

“The breadth of interview subjects made it feel like you were getting the full story from a broad range of players,” the AIDC jury said. “Definitely a podcast that made you want to skip to the next episode and keep listening.”

The ABC’s interactive webAR experience Mt Resilience , which was made in association with ABC TV series Big Weather (and how to survive it ), won the AIDC Award for Best Interactive/Immersive Documentary. The bold augmented reality experience was crafted in conjunction with XR studio PHORIA, the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology.

“This augmented reality experience about climate and disaster resilience in Australian towns deftly combines ambitious technological approach and creative vision, packing diverse story elements in a coherent and seamlessly designed way,” the AIDC jury said. “The use of webAR, the sense of playfulness and attention to detail all ensure broad accessibility on an urgent topic, demonstrating a distinctive and significant ambition.”

The AIDC jury also gave a special mention to ABC factual series Love on the Spectrum , which they said “grabs you from the first minute and never lets go”. Producers Northern Pictures had dealt with the subject of people on the autism spectrum exploring love and relationships “sensitively and cleverly to make it entertaining, engaging, informative and emotional”, the jury said.

The full list of AIDC Award winners is available here.

1141

It will also air on ABC TV on Easter Monday, April 5, at 8.30pm.

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… the push for quotas on streaming platforms is ironic in light of a speech given by ABC MD David Anderson at La Trobe University last night where he argued against the government’s green paper proposing an Australian content quota on the ABC as “an incursion into its independence” saying it “would reduce our flexibility to appropriately and independently allocate funds across all ABC activities” ie make the ABC spend taxpayer funds on Charter activities like “musical, dramatic and other performing arts” rather than waste it all on the news department as it does now …

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1143

ABC: The heart of the nation

Ita Buttrose AC, OBE

The following speech was virtually delivered by the ABC Chair Ita Buttrose to the Regions Rising National Summit, Canberra, on Wednesday 17 March 2021.

I am pleased to have been invited to speak at this important summit today and wish you all well as you discuss ways to make the most of the “move to the bush” which was confirmed in the last census and accelerated last year by the impact of Covid on the way we work and live.

I would like to acknowledge that wherever we are today, we are on Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander land. I acknowledge the elders of those lands past and present and also pay my respects to any Indigenous people who might be taking part in this summit today.

I am sorry not to be with you in person, but virtual connectivity is part of the ‘new normal’ for all of us these days wherever we live.

More …

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1144

… like most speeches from ABC Chairmen and Managing Directors over the past decade, the text of this originates in the ABC’s “spin” department, established by Mark Scott and run by an ex-Murdoch hack … so, having worked in regional media for twenty years, some of that in the ABC, I can’t let it pass without taking a look at some of the points raised …

“the funds the ABC receives will go directly to public interest journalism in regional Australia” as long as you understand that “regional” in the ABC (like ALP minister for pork barrels Simon Crean) includes anything west of Leichhardt …

“Over the years we have continuously increased our commitment and investment in regional communities” decidedly untrue so this phrase is added “whenever we’ve had the opportunity to do so” ie when we squeeze more money from the taxpayer …

“In spite of a declining budget” operational funding went from $865,063,000 in 2018-19 to $880,561,000 in 2021-22, an increase of $15,498,000 or 1.8% and yes, not as much as inflation, but not a “decline” “we have managed to increase funding for our regional bureaux significantly over the past four years” because they were slashed mercilessly by a previous administration that put the bulk of the funding into Ultimo …

“telling the personal stories from the bush and beyond” this is the most important point that city-dwellers can’t understand … the ABC has gone from talking directly to regional audiences about the things that interest them to telling metropolitan audiences about the bush … it’s not the same thing … Back Roads is a perfect example … it’s a “look at the funny people in the bush” told by a metropolitan-based team …

“our role as an emergency broadcaster” “the cost of providing this additional emergency coverage was around $3.1 million” of which over $2 million wasn’t “emergency broadcasting” per se, ie keeping local communities aware of the danger, but was for all of the overtime used up by news crews shooting coverage of the fires for the national news so that they could win their next Walkley …

“On any given day of the week, Australians are likely to get at least one regional story in their television news bulletin” again stories from regional areas deemed to be of interest to national audiences …

“like the no-fail three-ingredient scone recipe from 92-year-old Muriel Halsted from the Upper Hunter” how patronising can you get?

“What we can’t do, however, is deliver coverage of events and topics on an extremely small, local scale – hyperlocal news as it is called. This always has been the role of the local commercial media sector” what total bullshit … that’s precisely what the ABC was set up to do … when I was presenting the morning program on ABC Local Radio we did “hyperlocal” every day … now they’re told to do stories that “will travel” …

It’s quite obvious that lip-service is being paid to get the National Party on side (well it worked in 2002), but the people making these decisions have never lived or worked in the country and can’t understand what’s driving the decline in radio audience in the bush.

Sadly it won’t change and when the ABC’s favorite party gets back into power what has been done will go away again just like in 2007 …

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1145

What? During the bushfires in 2019/20 ABC Radio was the primary source of information, with ABC News channel on television also doing a fantastic job. The ABC rightly deserves criticism, but I can’t see how anyone can criticise them for what they did during that crisis. That the news crews were only thinking of getting a Walkley Award is just rubbish.

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1146

You’ve written this well. So I won’t be too harsh. But what a load of shit.

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1147

… please read what I wrote … I did not criticise the ABC staff for what they did during the bushfires, I criticised ABC management for trying to extract an additional $5 million from the taxpayer at Senate Estimates under the false pretext that it was all for “emergency broadcasting” … the Senate panel properly called them out on it and they went back to Ultimo with their tails between their legs and no cash … so now the “spin” department says that the $3.1 million (most of which was for, by their own admission, “coverage”, not emergency broadcasting) was “funding which had to be found – and was – within our existing budget” as if they had never tried to extort that additional cash …

1148

… I do so enjoy such erudite and comprehensively researched criticism :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

1149

Care to back this claim that it wasnt for emergency broadcasting ? Your heros (the liberal governmebt) are dismantling the ABC because it doesnt like their public broadcastinf and them calling the governmebr on BS unlike Sky News afterdark.
Dont you let your hatred get away in your hatred and bis against the ABC.

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1150

er it’s not my claim … you can read the minutes from Senate Estimates for yourself … and I’m so over people who resort to such silliness as “Your heroes (the liberal governmebt [sic]”) when you have absolutely no idea about me or who I vote for but I write facts that you don’t care to know about … as for not liking the ABC, I worked for them for many years and only left when I became embarrassed by the direction that the then management were taking it … and while you may enjoy “Sky News afterdark” I have never paid for my television viewing so don’t have a subscription …

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1151

I agree this is a poor direction for ABC. It needs to be doing hyper-local particularly in regional areas where commercial media is constantly winding back. While I am not opposed to the concept of shows like Back Roads etc I agree it doesn’t really talk to the country audience but rather to satisfy city viewers’ perception of the bush.

Things like Landline on TV and Country Hour on radio certainly cover rural affairs but there must be an awful lot going on in our regional areas, such as local government or state government issues that should be reported or covered by the ABC not just farming issues?

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1152

Oh so you are disgruntled ex employee of the abc? Nough said.

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1153

ABC Local Radio has local breakfast and morning programs that cover local issues, and there are local news bulletins.

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