A sustained conservative media campaign against the ABC’s coverage of the coronation of King Charles III has set the stage for Senate estimates hearings next week, after the broadcaster was forced to demure in the face of claims it breached editorial standards.
The campaign, led by monarchist criticism in the pages of The Australian, resulted in a report published on Monday alerting readers to an ombudsman investigation into the broadcaster’s coverage, after the ABC received complaints claiming it was in breach of editorial guidelines, in line with protocol.
Crikey understands the ABC is taking the complaints seriously, even if reports of an “informal review” conducted by news boss Justin Stevens and managing director David Anderson are overplayed. Internal feedback of the coverage remains largely positive, however, despite concessions made from some corners of the organisation that the timing of some themes discussed by the panel were poorly timed.
The ABC’s coverage of the coronation was led by a panel hosted by Jeremy Fernandez and Julia Baird, along with Q+A host Stan Grant. Indigenous writer and lawyer Teela Reid joined as a guest, alongside monarchist and Liberal Party backbencher Julian Leeser, as well as Craig Foster, co-chair of the Australian Republic Movement.
The panel discussed the role of the monarchy in modern Australia and the consequences of colonialism for Indigenous Australians and was broadcast for some 45 minutes before the ABC took the BBC’s live feed.
The event was a ratings killing for the ABC, which beat all commercial competitors on total audience numbers. More than half a million viewers tuned in to the preview panel alone, while the king’s procession attracted 1.2 million total viewers, according to internal audience insights seen by Crikey.
An ABC spokesperson declined to comment on internal matters.
On the day, the ABC secured the second largest primetime audience across metro markets with a take of 19.4% of viewers, coming in 36% above the broadcaster’s daily average, according to the insights. Online, ABC News produced a total of 67 stories from May 1, covering the coronation, with a page view return of 5.3 million reads.
The broadcaster’s significant reach, however, didn’t translate to a warm welcome across the board. On radio, 2GB’s Ray Hadley and 3AW’s Neil Mitchell condemned it for sending a panel discussion to air that “totally misread the mood”. Mitchell called for ABC management to be “accountable” for the program’s scheduling.
“I really wonder sometimes why we feed these ABC people,” he said. “I don’t blame the people on air, it’s whomever in management decides, ‘Ah, here’s a good idea, let’s use footage from London while we bag the living daylights out of the monarchy.’ ”
Mitchell and Hadley were joined in their criticism by the Australian Monarchist League, which launched a petition online last week calling for an apology from the ABC.
The league’s chair, former senator Eric Abetz, said the day should not have been “an opportunity” for “elements” of the ABC to “pursue their pet topics and tortured view of history”, and claimed the broadcast lacked balance.
“The taxpayer deserved better, as did the reputation of the ABC that has a strict charter by which to abide which was flagrantly disregarded,” he said.
It is expected Anderson will face questioning on the matter when he fronts Senate estimates next week, after facing questions over the ABC’s approach to covering the referendum on a Voice to Parliament with balance.
Was the ABC’s coronation coverage awfully irreverent or appropriately respectful? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
‘The event was a ratings killing for the ABC, which beat all commercial competitors…’ Yet Hadley and Mitchell claim that the ABC ‘totally misread the mood’. Really? Sounds like the ABC read it pretty well, unless ratings aren’t that important.
didn’t watch any of the mediaeval circus, but read the article, and came here to say precisely this.
the tories are seriously unwinding.
So sad, that an unqualified loudmouthed, bullying and thin-skinned buffoon like Hadley, with a relatively small audience nationwide has so much power, as with fellow buffoon Mitchel.
Nobody knew it was going to be hate speech day by Grant & Co. they thought they’d be watching a coronation.
If the ABC had served up coverage the Conservative media would applaud (hahaha), they’d still complain about it. That’s what that do. They hate the ABC and will do everything in their power to destroy it, hence the active campaign that has been running since the establishment of the ABC.
I wonder why they even watched the ABC given they want it abolished, perhaps just to complain.
That’s all they do, whinge and whine. They’re always on about being “cancelled” when in actual fact they’re the ones hell-bent on cancelling everyone who disagrees with their opinions/beliefs/ideology.
The Conservative Media hate the ABC, but the ABC falls over backwards to give creditability to Murdoch’s hired shills by having them on ABC Current Affairs programs constantly.
You could be forgiven that some, like Clare Armstrong, actually work for the ABC, so frequent is their appearances.
Appeasement worked so well for Neville Chamberlain, why would one not? If the ABC believes as a result the COALition will treat it more kindly if it is in government again, tell it it’s dreaming.
Agree. Have had issues with RN, ABC Audience and Friends of the ABC in getting any informed response or feedback while they white ant their own quality and presence, to become anodyne (and presenters staying on well past retirement).
There is a ‘Listen app’, but cannot download which is essential to listen outdoors while walking (vs. relying upon streaming & patchy data coverage, buffering etc., terrible listening experience), as the directly downloadable pods have been removed, but no one knows why (start monetising via platforms?), powers that be prefer more live radio like commercial?
This follows on from now no audience interaction, platforming many right wing interests pretending to be neutral experts (or simply being astroturfed), then not being challenged, presenters lacking data, science & academic/research literacies, no comments, programs are not promoted via social media.
Meanwhile older programs are filleted i.e. recording, comments and transcripts removed, while now archives are being challenged, i.e. both the ABC’s and Australians’ cultural memory?
Finally, a metaphor can be found on ABC Online News Just In (like News24), where all news hits and then is categorised under news, business, sport etc., but now dominated by regional/rural tragedy, heartbreak, fluff, human interest personal stories etc., but little if any analysis, so as to appear like and compete with News.com.au?
Eric Abetz is the idiot who once claimed that women who undergo an abortion increase their risk of developing breast cancer. His views and opinions should not be taken seriously. He is a conservative fool who will take any chance to rip into the ABC.
I do recall watching Abetz on some panel show, in his new role as head of the monarchist league. He was putting forward the idea that the British Monarchy always have been benevolent in their attitude to indigenous, whatever country they had invaded. The numerous massacres and poisonings and murders of indigenous were abberations bought on by a few rogue elements like Gov Phillip and Co. I regarded such ludicrous statements as appropriate to his limited intelligence level, imposed on the Senate for some 25 years of wasted space, for which the Australian populace provide financial support till the day he dies. Seems out of whack somehow?
Pity monarchists are so feeble (is it age or brains that is the problem?) that they can’t lift the remote and change channels to one of those with an entirely gushing coverage of which they might approve.
Personally I could not give a rats a** about the Coronation, how they could waste so much money on a event that is outdated as time.
I am sure there will be a lot of responses trying to put down my comments, but give it your best shot.
No respect for King Charles ( always reminds me of a spaniel we once had) nor any of them.
Let the Poms waste money on that archaic system and let them turn it into a bigger circus than Barnum and Bailey!