The program heavily insinuated that working for Seven was the sole cause of these issues that staff were having. It didn’t really make any effort to ensure viewers that they could have attributed to these mental health issues. That was the part I felt was a little naughty to do.
Of course the actions at the network could well and truly have been the sole reason, cause by the staff member being broken down over months and years but they still should have made a conscious effort to acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the sole cause.
Speculating about the cause of someone’s mental health is not the play thing of an internet forum - even if the Four Corners story did leave questions open.
While on the subject, if the story did touch a point with issues you’re personally going through -
Lifeline - 13 11 14
Sexual Assault Support Service - 1800 697 877
Beyond Blue - 1300 224 636
Andrew’s not doing that though. He’s just saying it was lazy of the program to let viewers assume that Seven was the only reason for staff having their mental health issues.
In the red soil of the Top End a new ‘silver bullet’ industry is emerging: cotton.
The Northern Territory government is rolling out the red carpet for this controversial crop as part of its huge development plans, but growers are already pushing the boundaries.
In tonight’s Four Corners, reporter Angus Grigg exposes a system riven by conflicts of interest that threatens to destroy some of the NT’s most famous tourism destinations.
All the while, ignoring the interests of traditional owners.
Water Grab reported by Angus Grigg, goes to air on Monday 19 August at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview. See more at abc.net.au/news and on ABC News social media platforms.
With the Middle East on the brink of war, Four Corners travels to Iran, Lebanon and Israel to investigate why a new regional war is looming.
Global Affairs Editor John Lyons and the Four Corners team gain rare access to Iran.
There they reveal the fault lines of a repressive regime, and how its power extends through proxy groups in the region – Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
Lyons travels to Hezbollah’s heartland in Lebanon, then to Israel, now facing war on multiple fronts. He speaks with key figures, politicians and military insiders to unravel the challenge of defusing this geopolitical timebomb.
The Big War reported by John Lyons goes to air on ABC TV on Monday August 26 at 8.30pm andABC iview. See more at abc.net.au/news and on ABC News social media platforms.
ABC chair Kim Williams and outgoing managing director David Anderson had a “difference of opinion” over the recent Four Corners investigation into the workplace culture at Seven West Media in the fortnight prior to Mr Anderson’s resignation, insiders claim.
Multiple sources have told The Australian that Mr Williams expressed a view that the episode, fronted by investigative reporter Louise Milligan, failed to meet the high editorial standards of Four Corners; Mr Anderson, and his director of news and current affairs Justin Stevens, thought otherwise.
The program, which aired on August 12, was beset with legal problems in the days leading up to its screening. Despite Amber Harrison (the former lover of former Seven West Media chief Tim Worner) appearing in a promotional clip for the episode, she wasn’t included in the program’s final cut due to the last-minute legal concerns.
It’s understood that Harrison’s testimony was to be one of the central features of the program.
Ultimately, the episode – which was the product of a five-month investigation by the Four Corners team – was re-edited to remove all mentions of Harrison, and the final cut appeared somewhat disjointed as a result.
Apparently the ABC was sent a letter from a legal firm reminding it to be careful given Harrison was under a strict gag order - my guess is the firm sent the letter after seeing the trailer, and then after the ABC they got the letter the team thought it would’ve been too risky to air the interview, especially if they weren’t 100% confident that they didn’t have the full details about what they were allowed to broadcast under the gag order.
The ABC has issued a statement in relation to today’s report in The Australian about the Four Corners program “Don’t Speak”.
Correcting James Madden in The Australian
The Australian’s report today about the Four Corners program “Don’t Speak” (“‘Not up to standards’: tension at the top of ABC over Four Corners’ expose”) is false.
The ABC informed the journalist before publishing that the unsourced claim was baseless but The Australian went ahead and published it anyway.