Complaint against ABC

Senator Michael Ronaldson today lodged a complaint with the ABC after the ABC Online website carried a report that described a terrorist who exchanged fire with the Israeli army as an “activist”.

The report carried by ABC online on the 27 and 28 of November referred to an “armed Palestinian activist” who “died in an exchange of fire”.

“The new ABC editorial policy clearly requires all news and current affairs content to be accurate, impartial and objective.  Unfortunately in this instance it appears the ABC has disregarded its own policy” Senator Ronaldson said.

“How can it possibly be accurate or impartial to label an armed terrorist firing on the Israeli military an ‘activist’?”

“If the new editorial policy permits such muddle headed labelling then there is something seriously wrong with the policy.”

“The situation in the middle east is at a sensitive stage. Reporting that fails to acknowledge the real role played by those instigating conflict is insensitive and suggests a biased approach to reporting such matters” Senator Ronaldson said.

This lapse in ABC editorial standards comes shortly after the ABC announced a substantial revision of its editorial policies.

“If the new ABC editorial standards endorse this sort of reporting they are seriously flawed.”

“It is more than reasonable for the Australian people to expect the ABC to live up to the obligations spelt out in the ABC’s charter and its own editorial policies. It appears that the ABC has again failed to do so.”

“The Managing Director of the ABC needs to urgently address this issue to ensure public confidence in the ABC is maintained.” Senator Ronaldson concluded.