The ABC is considering filing a complaint with the Australian Press Council over media reports in The Australian, Crikey understands, after anonymous quotes were published suggesting the broadcaster’s diversity efforts had compromised its news coverage.
On Saturday the ABC hit back at reporting in The Australian on the broadcaster’s restructure — a report that led with the redundancy of political editor Andrew Probyn, whose role will be nixed as part of the biggest organisational shake-up in six years.
The story, which the ABC branded “offensive”, cited anonymous sources who criticised the decision to axe Probyn, and suggested his number was called after “standing up to management” over “stupid” editorial and staffing decisions.
The ABC said the comments did not represent its values and accused the story’s authors of omitting a response from ABC news boss Justin Stevens, who is said to have told them all ABC journalists meet the highest standards and earn their opportunities.
“In addition to that, as the national public broadcaster it’s incumbent on us to accurately tell the story of our nation and reflect a diversity of perspectives,” Stevens said in a statement released by the ABC.
“We seek a diversity of talented people in our workforce to ensure our team reflects Australia and to make our journalism better, more relevant, and more accurate. To suggest that anyone on the ABC news team is a ‘diversity hire’ to ‘meet a target’ or to ‘tick a box’ is completely wrong and offensive.”
The ABC said the reporting could breach Press Council principles three and four in that it was not presented with fairness and balance, and that the paper failed to offer reasonable space for a reply.
One of the article’s authors, media editor for The Australian James Madden, has been contacted for comment.
Consideration of a formal complaint by ABC leadership marks escalating tensions between the broadcaster and The Australian, which last month led a campaign of sustained criticism lashing the ABC’s coronation coverage, and then-Q+A host Stan Grant’s role in it.
The decision to axe Probyn’s role drew broad criticism from federal political reporters current and former. Chief political correspondent at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age David Crowe said on Twitter that Probyn was treated “shabbily” by an organisation that should know better. The Australian Financial Review’s political editor Phillip Coorey called the move a “disgrace”.
The office of Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said she had requested a briefing from ABC management on the restructure — part of the ABC’s five-year plan — after it was announced last week.
“The ABC ultimately has operational independence and it is a matter for ABC management to determine how to structure the organisation within their funding envelope to meet the changing needs of audiences,” a spokesperson told Crikey.
The briefing is expected to take place once the parliamentary sitting week wraps up for the winter break, Crikey understands, and will be the second briefing Rowland has had on the restructure after standard guidance was provided to her ahead of the announcement.
Probyn’s role is one of two “broadcast-focused” roles based in Canberra on the chopping block, among 40 roles across the ABC’s news division.
The ABC’s Parliament House bureau, according to a change proposal seen by Crikey, was previously operating in an “outdated, top-heavy structure” too focused on linear television, recommending Probyn and a television editor be ousted in favour of three new digital and social content creation roles.
The incoming producers’ jobs will be to reach audiences with political news on “the platforms they’re increasingly using”.
According to an email sent to staff by Stevens and seen by Crikey, further changes include a renewed focus on state and territory politics, including the return of Stateline, as well as the formation of a climate, environment and energy team.
A notable casualty of the news-side changes was the standalone ABC arts team, which will be disbanded and reintegrated across the newsroom.
In an email to staff on Thursday seen by Crikey, ABC managing director David Anderson said the changes were “necessary for the longer term”, as the national broadcaster comes up against the same economic headwinds faced by other media organisations.
Has the ABC made a mistake by getting rid of its political editor, or do you agree its federal politics coverage needs a shake-up? Let us know 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.
I have a plan… (attempt two)
Step One: Stop providing a platform to newscorp propagandists who hate you and drive down your ratings. This could be done today at no cost.
Step Two: Stop employing ex-newscorp hacks. No cost.
Step Three: Get rid of the existing ex-newscorp hacks. Redundancy costs, but worth it.
Step Four: Rebuild the arts team, as the charter requires.
+ 1000
The trouble is, Newscorp dominates the Australian media environment so much that any journalist who wants to work at all must be tempted to work there at some point in their career.
Probyn may end up there
I think they may suit each other.
LOL. And as far as ABC management are concerned, a beautiful own goal.
Probyn is excellent at his job.
The ABC removing him is a spectacular own goal. Laure Tingle is next, then Sarah Ferguson.
Totally agree, unfortunately would not read him if he went to News Corp, as currently would not subscribe no matter who was employed
Destroying credibility along with real talent.
This re-structuring is meant to structure for a sale, and the only way to do this is to wreck the programs and then roll the ABC into the cesspool of social media.
Join News Corp and become unemployable?
If that’s a risk the ‘journalist’ is willing to take, let them.
Most ex-News Corp ‘journalists’ seem remain on the payroll anyway, almost as if someone hacked their phones to harvest dirt that may be laundered in public if ever the need should arise.
LR93, you could have added “Sack the CEO and the board and replace them with people who believe in the pursuit of excellence, who respect the arts and science, and also believe that being informative and entertaining is more important than diverse and inclusive”. In other words, restore the values the ABC held in its glory years.
A bit disappointing for us oldies who don’t get our “news” via FB, Twitter or Inst etc, not that the ABC offers much anymore.
More performative nonsense from ABC Management. The Australian, “biassed”? Surely not! Quel horreur! Seems to me to be worthy of coverage on Media Watch rather than whining to a useless body…
One wonders if The Oz & IPA are getting revenge for the criticism of their golden boy Abbott, who now spends his time ‘visiting’ Koch* linked think tanks and institutes in UK, US and Central Europe?
‘ABC censured for calling Tony Abbott ‘most destructive politician’. Watchdog finds Aunty breached its impartiality obligations….In an ABC News report – broadcast nationally on October 10 last year – political editor Andrew Probyn analysed a speech Abbott gave to the conservative Global Warming Policy Foundation*.’ SMH 1 May 2018
The watchdog only has 3 legs and no teeth! Aunty shouldn’t have called Abbott a facist and apparently the claim that a “mob” invaded the Capitol building on Jan 6th.
Not a mob????????
Andrew Probyn is impartial and that means that the LNP want him gone.
When was this re-structure actually designed.
Anyone who thinks being Andrew Probyn is a sackable offence needs their head read. Clear and concise with, presumably, correct info, how else are we to know what is going on? Might as well sack ‘And That’s Finance’ Kohler, heaven forbid.
Anyone who thinks I should get my news from FB etc and pay for it is seriously mentally disturbed. I get my news from the ABC and pay for it, OK? There are also people who would abolish cash, equally foolish.
But you don’t have to get your news or commentary from either FB or the ABC. You could get it from 9 Newspapers (would not be surprised if that’s where Probes ends up), The New Daily, The Guardian, The Economist, Pearls and Irritations, Crikey, The Asia Times , The Australian. We won’t be lost without the ABC. If you listen to classical music there’s 2/3MBS.
The Australian gives only commentary, not news – unless you are referring to their definitive proof there is no climate change?
I don’t know enough about any of this to have an opinion but I was shocked to hear that the national broadcaster doesn’t have a place for a political journalist of Probyn’s calibre.
Does anyone know what political editors actually do? Probyn has always seemed like a reporter out there in the thick of things day in day out to me.
The position of Political Editor was created in 2015 for Chris Uhlmann. “The appointment formalises Uhlmann’s standing as Australia’s pre-eminent federal political journalist and ensures his investigative and interviewing skills and analysis will be available across all ABC broadcast and digital news outlets.”
https://about.abc.net.au/press-releases/chris-uhlmann-named-abc-political-editor/
That was the announcement for Chris Uhlmann, there have been many other who have performed the same job without the fanfare over the last 92 years. Andrew Probyn was careful with finding and checking facts prior to broadcast, thus reinforcing the ABC’s reputation for integrity and accuracy.
I agree, there are others who have effectively performed the role without the title but the title itself is only recent. The title is, as you say, fanfare, and it formalises what was already being done. But still, if you asked the question before Uhlmann got the title, the question would have been meaningless.
Thanks Don.
Andrew Probyn was out and about gathering and sorting the information and the press releases against the known facts, rather than broadcasts false information.
What on earth is the ABC board and management thinking.
It might be time for a spill of board positions.
Thanks Ratty. That explains my impression. Totally agree with everyone struggling to understand the loss of the position as well as the journalist. We’re in a time when we need more of this work, not less.
The board probably commissioned PwC to suggest some management options