CPA - The Guardian

Describing himself as a “climate change agnostic”, last week the chairman of the national broadcaster, Maurice Newman told 250 ABC managers, program makers and journalists that climate change was an example of “group think where contrary views have not been tolerated”. He warned the gathering he would not accept anyone “suppressing information”. He has previously told journalists he doesn’t believe in the science of man-made climate change.

“ABC Chairman Maurice Newman’s criticism of the media’s coverage of global warming is extraordinary and inappropriate,” said Glenys Stradijot, a spokesperson for Friends of the ABC (Victoria).

“Mr Newman is entitled to his personal views on controversial matters. But his expression of them while he remains head of the ABC damages public confidence in the national broadcaster’s independence.

“Just as worrying, Mr Newman’s comments look to be an attempt to influence ABC programming to be more favourable to global warming scepticism.”

Should problems arise with the ABC’s reporting on any matter, it is the managing director who should raise them with staff. The MD is the editor-in-chief and responsible for the ABC’s journalistic standards, not the chairman.

“Mr Newman needs to explain why he took the step of criticising the media’s coverage of global warming and why he addressed that criticism to ABC staff.

“It is difficult not to consider Mr Newman’s comments in the light of him being a former director of the right-wing Centre for Independent Studies. Together, they most certainly highlight the importance of legislation presently before the Parliament for a new transparent and merit-based process for appointing the chair and members of the ABC Board,” said Glenys Stradijot.

MEAA letter

Following Newman’s address federal secretary of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance Christopher Warren sent the following letter to ABC managing director Mark Scott and Maurice Newman. In doing so he said the Alliance “condemns the ABC chairman’s ‘group-think’ speech. Alliance members present at the now infamous speech delivered by ABC chair, Maurice Newman, were appalled by what appeared to be a blatant breach of editorial independence as well as a thinly veiled attack on the professionalism and integrity of ABC journalists.”

Dear Mr Newman,

I was surprised to read, yesterday, the text of remarks you delivered to a group of journalists, program makers and management in which you appeared to be giving direction and setting guidelines under which the public broadcaster’s news team should be working.

During the course of the day I was contacted by a number of Media Alliance members who work at the ABC and are concerned that this was a clear breach of the doctrine of editorial independence under which editorial direction is set by the managing director acting independently of the board of directors.

For the chairman of the ABC to attempt to direct, encourage or cajole ABC staff to cover any issue in a certain manner is a clear breach of the editorial independence of the ABC.

For it to be done in this public way over such a politically charged issue makes it all the more improper.

The result has been to place the ABC’s integrity in question and, indeed, to put the corporation at the centre of the debate – as a subject, not a participant. It has offered comfort to critics of the ABC on both sides and disillusioned those who support the ABC precisely because of its independence. It has done more damage to the ABC than any of the reporting errors that are claimed to have occurred.

The internal processes of the ABC are established precisely to protect the ABC from these sorts of sweeping, unsubstantiated claims of bias – and to ensure that allegations are properly investigated and processes adapted, if necessary.

The fact that the criticisms from you are unfair and wrong-headed only compounds the unnecessary attack on the integrity of the ABC and its staff.

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