ABC Reporting Bias

Senator VAN: Thank you, Chair. Welcome back, Mr Anderson. You flagged on 9 November, your last appearance, that you would go back and look at the Q+A show that Minister Fletcher was on. I can give you the transcript, if you would like to see it. Did you manage to go back and look at that program?

Mr Anderson: I did. It was at the end of last year. I went and had a look at the transcript. I also had a look at the program. I had a look at the complaints and the finding.

Senator VAN: And your thoughts on it?

Mr Anderson: My thoughts? The audience consumer affairs had a finding about this that—

Senator VAN: I have the question on notice, which I'm again happy to table. I'm asking your thoughts on it.

Mr Anderson: My thoughts? The topic of whether or not the ABC had a funding cut was contested between both the host and the minister. The numbers were also contested such that the average person watching would see that there was equal time given. There was a real-time answer there from the minister that refuted what the host was saying. Effectively, it was a contested position where there was a difference of judgement that was conveyed to the audience. That's what I saw from it. So I didn't see it as an editorial breach. But I do agree with the finding, having read the transcript and seen the program again. Mind you, that was before Christmas.

Senator VAN: I thought you might refresh your memory before we came back here. Given how little time we've got, I'll put that on notice and I'll bring it up at the next estimates. I will table this document, if I may, Chair. It's the transcript from the references committee of this committee. It is the testimony of former Prime Minister Mr Rudd on 19 February this year. I would like to table that. Have a quick look at the highlighted piece, Mr Anderson.

Mr Anderson: I haven't got it yet, Senator, but I will.

Senator VAN: While you are reading it, I will set the scene. Mr Rudd sets out where he thinks various newspapers and media outlets are on the political ideological spectrum.

Mr Anderson: Yes. He starts out with that.

Senator VAN: Sorry?

Mr Anderson: Well, he starts out with his centre right category. What was the question?

Senator VAN: Have you finished reading it?

Mr Anderson: Pretty much.

Senator VAN: The question is: do you agree with his assessment?

Mr Anderson: Not necessarily, no. I think that categorising entire mastheads to political ideology is something that I think can be quite tricky. I think that you can have excellent journalists at newspapers and not so great journalists at newspapers that I would attest to from what I read.

Senator VAN: That is quality rather than ideology.

Mr Anderson: All of those newspapers don't have the same scrutiny or requirement or obligation that the ABC does. We have a statutory obligation to be impartial at all times. We don't employ our people based on how they vote or political ideology. We don't want to know that. We only want them to carry out their jobs to that obligation.

Senator VAN: Where would you place the ABC on that spectrum?

Mr Anderson: Again, I would place us as impartial.

Senator VAN: I will come back to this. At three o'clock this morning, I was so excited about coming back to estimates this morning, I was lying awake and listening to Radio National. There was an extended interview. It was more of a book review with Louise Milligan. She was talking about her experiences with the Pell case et cetera. Once she said that she found it a very politicising event. Later in the interview, she came back and said that she had been politicised about it. Do you think she's now acting politically, using her own words?

Mr Anderson: Again, I won't be drawn into questions specifically about Louise Milligan as she is also the subject of proceedings lodged against the ABC. What I will say is that, as per my opening statement, I think Four Corners has acted impartially at all times for the journalism that they've produced.

Senator VAN: Thank you, Chair.

Full transcript here.