" Uneasy lays the head which wears a crown " is apt when that particular crown is that of CEO of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Political parties continuously wrest the spoils of office from one another and the ABC is expected to stay neutral and deliver the news without political bias.
In a distant age, the ABC was virtually the only source of national news broadcasts. Its noon and evening news broadcast were relayed to every commercial radio station in Australia and during the war years the content was vigorously censored in the interests of national security and to maintain public morale. When television arrived in this country both the competing television networks and the radio stations developed their own news systems and the news content lost most of its veracity.
The age of the computer delivered a new element and the internet spawned the personal communication age. The Facebook phenomenon and its ilk enabled ordinary citizens to voice their opinions and very quickly sinister external elements used this new medium to coerce public opinion by circulating " fake news " stories. This became so persuasive that it became critical to delivering unusual election results.
The political tone of the ABC has always been of concern to whichever political party was holding national office. It has long been accused of holding a distinct left wing bias and its CEO has been constantly criticised for the way news reports have gone to air. The fact that the CEO reports to a board of governors and not directly to the government in office has been a constant point of criticism in political circles.
For the first time, the managing director of the ABC is a woman and the board has seen fit to terminate her in mid term. No reason has been given beyond the vague statement that the ABC was seeking a " new leadership style ". The position carries a $900,000 salary and Michelle Guthrie has indicated that she may take legal action over her dismissal.
The ABC is an institution highly regarded by many in Australia. It aims to deliver a serious and consistent news content and events being pursued through the courts and the subject of Royal Commissions have been vigorously and meticulously reported by the ABC, to the consternation of some politicians. The removal of the ABC head will be seen in some circles as an attempt to neuter the public broadcaster and reign in its growing tendency to provide an in depth evaluation of the issues involved.
It is now inevitable that the spotlight will be turned on the configuration of that ABC board and what they intend to achieve - and what sins Michelle Guthrie may have committed that resulted in her being removed from office. The independence of the ABC is now in question !
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