ABC staff demand open management

Peter Mac

Australian Broadcasting Cor-poration staff are up in arms over 
the new ABC draft code of conduct, which requires staff to 
refrain from making "public comment" (including speaking 
engagements, written articles and media interviews) unless it is 
part of normal work or is approved by ABC authorities.

The Code would also restrict out-of-hours staff behaviour. It 
demands that such behaviour "must not interfere with their 
performance of official duties or reflect on the standing of the 
corporation."

Such wording could encompass almost any activity of ABC staff. 
Discussion about the code has to date focused largely on 
protecting staff privacy regarding personal relationships. 
However, the code's restrictions could also be seen as applying 
to activity in environmental groups, anti-war organisations or 
political parties.

The Code even attempts to force staff to hand over any cash they 
receive as part of a media award. Such a spiteful requirement 
will inevitably stiffen the resolve of ABC staff to reject the 
restrictions.

This proposed code is the latest in a series of attempts to 
intimidate and muzzle ABC staff. These have included an 
investigation into alleged political bias over its coverage of 
the invasion of Iraq, attacks on the staff representative on the 
ABC Board and there are allegations of staff being bullied.

ABC management, as revealed on ABC Mediawatch program, 
issued directives prohibiting the release of archive material to 
the public when it would be used for "political purposes", 
without the express permission of the person featured in the 
material.

The Howard Government is applying political pressure to the 
national broadcaster, which despite its short-comings, is still 
the government's most honest and open mass media critic. The 
government is determined to stifle such criticism, especially in 
the run-up to the federal election.

But they'll have to deal with "fired-up" resistance. A union 
staff meeting decided to oppose the new code, and passed a motion 
stating: "This meeting of ABC staff expresses grave concern about 
wording of the proposed code of conduct, particularly with regard 
to the possibility of intrusion into the private lives and 
affairs of ABC staff."