Talking with Raf Epstein on ABC Drive Melbourne. 25-11-21

The ABC’s Editorial Guidelines state that the purpose of a news piece is to deliver fact not opinion.

In the stories I quoted in Estimates, the reporters use terms which portray an opinion of the situation. As Mr McMurtrie said in the hearing, if the reporters had spoken to credible sources in the report, then they are able to use these descriptive terms such as these. In the stories I quoted, the reporters had not spoken to sources who justified the use of these terms.

I was not attacking the journalists; I hold Sabra and James in high regard. Nor was I alleging bias I was questioning ABC management on why they allow their own editorial guidelines to be ignored. How commercial broadcasters report and/or editorialise news stories is up to them. The ABC has a duty to taxpayers that commercial operators do not.

The fact that Media Watch are suggesting otherwise goes to the heart of the problem and the fact that their own watchdog program do not understand the difference between what is and is not opinion free news is concerning. Senate estimates is an important accountability measure so for Mr Barry to call my questions “painful, vexatious and uncalled for” it seems he does not want senators to hold the ABC to account.

However, to correct the record, the fact is that the vaccine was not bungled, the Prime Minister said in March that all eligible Australians would have a vaccine available to them by the end of October and I think we have seen that largely achieved. No, it was not linear, but no one said it would be, could be or should be.

Liberal Senator David Van has grilled senior management at the ABC over “opinion and quite loaded terms” being passed as news at the national broadcaster.

Mr Van said he was “confused” between what was classified as news and opinion at the national broadcaster, questioning ABC Editorial Director Craig McMurtie during Senate Estimates about which programs were meant to be strictly news offerings.

The Liberal Senator pointed to three examples from ABC Radio National AM host Sabra Lane and reporter James Glenday where he said the journalists clearly conflated “opinion” with news.

“On the 1st July a news piece on AM titled ‘Confusion over AstraZeneca advice’, Sabra Lane in her opening line in the piece says “the bitter spat between politicians and health officials over Australia’s bungled COVID vaccine rollout…” Mr Van said.

“Using the term bungled that’s an opinion she’s not basing that on any fact is she, she’s not quoting anyone, she’s not citing a reference to that.”

Mr McMurtie defended the reporting adding that journalists are told to be “evidence-based” in their presentation of the news.

“Depending on the timing of the issue, where it is in the debate, they can draw a professional judgement,” Mr McMurtie said.

“And Sabra is a very very experienced political journalist and presenter and she can form a judgement as long as that judgement was evidenced based.”

“The term bungled is quite loaded and is an opinion - It’s a loaded term,” Mr Van said.

The Senator then grilled Mr McMurtie about reporting from Mr Glenday who referred to the vaccine rollout as the “problem plagued program”.

“Again, an opinion again quite loaded terms,” Mr Van said.

Mr McMurtie said Mr Glenday could “characterise the story in that way” if he had spoken to credible sources who told him that the vaccine rollout was "bungled".

“We produce hundreds of stories and publish thousands of words every week Senator I’d need to have a closer look,” he said.

But Mr Van hit back at the editorial director, slamming the ABC for letting journalists “get away” with infusing news reporting with their personal opinions.

“I’m finding in most of these cases your reporters get away with offering opinion when they’re meant to be offering fact,” Mr Van said.

“What entitles them to use loaded terms and opinion in news pieces.”

Mr Van then referred to Ms Lane’s reporting on the death of former US Secretary of State Colin Powell when the ABC host said: “Colin Powell’s reputation will be forever marred by a speech he made at the United Nations”.

“Saying someone’s reputation is forever marred again that’s surely an opinion isn’t it,” Mr Van said.

“You cannot justify your reporters continually using opinion in their news reporting.

“You don’t hear it on them (BBC) their guidelines seems to be more adhered to than yours.”

Both the ABC and the BBC have editorial guidelines which seek to separate the reporting of news to opinion and analysis content.

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