New ABC boss vows no more bias

ABC managing director Mark Scott last night admitted the national broadcaster had to respond to claims it was politically biased in its news, current affairs and other programming, by launching new editorial guidelines.

Mr Scott singled out the watchdog program Media Watch as needing an overhaul in his plan to ensure more balance and diversity of opinion on the ABC, long accused of perceived left-wing bias.

In a speech at the Sydney Institute, Mr Scott would not be drawn on whether he believed the ABC was biased, but said: "I suspect that we are by no means as bad as our critics might suggest and not as blameless as our defenders might wish."

However, Mr Scott said he accepted a July ruling by broadcast watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority that found a Four Corners report on the Tasmanian forest industry by journalist Ticky Fullerton was not impartial. "I can understand how they reached that finding," he said.

As for Media Watch, presently hosted by Monica Attard, Mr Scott said he had "encouraged the director of television (Kim Dalton) to work with the Media Watch team to review their format and content next year to ensure there was more opportunity for debate and discussion around contentious and important issues".

Mr Scott chose the conservative think tank run by ABC critic Gerard Henderson to unveil a tough new editorial policy that subjects all radio and television programs to the same editorial scrutiny as news and current affairs.

He created a new position - director of editorial policies - to report to him in his role as "editor-in-chief of the ABC" to monitor and assess editorial performance across alltelevision and radio programming.

A series of training sessions for staff would be carried out before March 1, when the new guidelines take effect.

Mr Scott, a former editor-in-chief of Fairfax metropolitan newspapers including The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne's The Age, said the changes had been in the pipeline for 18 months and were the "most significant public statement of values made by an ABC board in over 21 years".

Speaking to The Australian before his speech, Mr Scott said the ABC would "look to see whether, on ourstaff, or among those we recruit ascontributors, we have the breadth and diversity of voices to be able todeliver what we want to deliver".

Mr Scott, who joined the ABC in July, gave the nod of approval to Barrie Cassidy's Insiders, Lateline host Tony Jones and The 7.30 Report host Kerry O'Brien. He endorsed their "rigorous" style of interviewing.

"And the best politicians know that to be subject to a cross-examination by a Kerry O'Brien or a Tony Jones, by a Virginia Trioli or a Jon Faine, and hold their own, increases their political reputation and support. That's why the best politicians keep going on."

Jones said last night that Mr Scott's comments were "like a mandate to keep doing what we've been doing".

The guidelines were supported by Janet Albrechtsen, a columnist with The Australian and ABC board member, who, it is understood, initiated the change in policy.
"We've drawn from the BBC (in Britain) and the CBC (in Canada). An awful lot of work has gone into drawing up these guidelines," she said.

Another Howard government appointee to the ABC board, historian Keith Windschuttle, also backed the guidelines.

"This document is a model of its kind" he said. "Any publishing or broadcasting organisation could take it on board. These are traditional journalistic ethics in the best sense."

But ABC staff, their union and Labor questioned how the rules could be enforced for drama, comedy and children's shows.

"This is outrageous. It's just another attack upon the ABC and its independence," said Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Stephen Jones. "It's also a little bit demoralising.

"Does it mean that comedians can no longer take pot shots at the Government? Is there some political content in Play School? We are getting to the stage where we are looking for political content and bias in children's programs."

Former prime minister Paul Keating attacked the new rules as meddling in the broadcaster by the Government.

"The only apologia for this brazen interference by the Howard Government is the new whispered word 'balance', which, decoded, means 'let's hear more from us'," he said.

Mr Howard insisted yesterday that the ABC was an independent organisation and not subject to government orders.

Some ABC journalists expressed concern that the director would undermine the authority of news and current affairs director John Cameron and weaken journalistic output.

But Mr Cameron welcomed the policy last night and denied it was a threat. "We are not afraid of critical appraisal - whether it's external or extra internal safeguard measures," he said. "If the position works as described, I wouldn't expect any intrusion in day-to-day current affairs business."

Lateline's Jones said: "We feel we've been passing all the checks of impartiality and balance. It would seem we've been doing the right things and we'll keep on doing it." However, he said it would be difficult to apply such editorial standards beyond news and current affairs.

The ABC will start three days of rolling stoppages tomorrow night over management's offer of a below-inflation pay rise and loss of conditions.

Mr Scott signalled that the ABC newsroom would also be encouraged to cover more populist topics. "Unlike some of the commercial media, we have to serve all of the public, not just those who would come to the ABC for comfort of confirmation," he said.

"I am also concerned that we are not unnecessarily narrow in our news selection, reporting on interests of great interest to the newsroom, but of less interest to our broader community.

"This is a challenge for newsrooms everywhere, but particularly those populated by intelligent, thoughtful and serious-minded journalists, like our newsrooms."