The ABC has slapped an edict on it's journalists requiring them to submit all controversial editorial matter to the ABC Director of Editorial Policies for clearance before publishing. Expect a howl of rage and a charge that this is the imposition of that dreaded threat to press freedom - censorship !
Separating the news from what is otherwise just innuendo is important when the source is the public broadcaster. The media generally reflects the bias of owner influence and chooses it's journalists accordingly, but the public expects strict neutrality in what is issued by a news source entirely funded from the public purse. In an earlier age, the nightly ABC news broadcast was relayed to all regional broadcasting stations - and was the only news source for the majority of Australians.
In those earlier days, this ABC news had what can be termed " credibility ". Stories were carefully checked before they went to air and if there was the faintest doubt on their accuracy they were held over until a later time, when the facts could be checked and verified. In particular, the ABC was very careful in how it presented " political " matter.
The " news " of today exists in a totally different format. An entire industry exists to present a point of view on world events that is calculated to swing public opinion - and in many cases the facts are twisted to present a very biased version of reality. It is sheer human nature that a journalist will colour a news story he or she is preparing according to the personal outlook that person has of world politics.
A recent story has generated intense controversy. A wide section of the public is opposed to asylum seekers being housed on the offshore island of Nauru and a baby was flown to Australia for hospital treatment after an accident with boiling water. The hospital is refusing to release this child for return to Nauru because it claims an unacceptable risk factor and this stance has been supported by street demonstrations and intense political activity. The government and people of Nauru claim that this is an insult to insist that their island is an unfit place to raise children. Nauruan children live a perfectly normal, healthy life - and have done so for centuries.
The basis for this " risk factor " is a claim that a five year old child was raped on this island, and that story was widely reported by the ABC news service. It seems to have originated from an " activist " and there is now a doubt about it's truth. It is not unknown for activists to embellish reports to tarnish regimes to which they are opposed and there are misgivings that ABC journalists with a similar outlook are prone to sending them to air without making the intensive enquiries to ascertain that they are valid.
The ABC has been accused of bias in it's talk shows by " stacking " the forum and not providing a balance of opinion. There appears to be a left wing outlook prevailing in the manner of presentation and it is quite likely that this editorial edict is aimed at subjecting this format and general news presentation to a balancing filter.
It is long overdue. The ABC has been losing credulity with many people and viewed as just a left wing mouthpiece for propaganda and then there is always the risk of litigation. There is little chance that stories will be pulled just because they are controversial, but a requirement that they contain an equal measure of balance will be welcomed.
That is the expectation of what should be delivered by the " public broadcaster " !
No comments:
Post a Comment