The ABC Ombudsman is set to launch an investigation into the national broadcaster’s controversial coverage of King Charles’s coronation.
This comes after the taxpayer-funded media organisation received an unprecedented wave of over 1000 viewer complaints regarding its handling of the historic event. Critics suggest that the ABC’s coverage may have breached editorial standards.
A significant percentage of viewers felt that the ABC coverage “misread the mood” by focusing on contentious issues such as colonisation, the monarchy’s impact on Indigenous Australians, and the republican movement, prior to the coronation church service.
According to The Australian, the vast majority of the complaints were from viewers expressing their “dissatisfaction” with the ABC’s approach. Additionally, a number of complaints specifically cited potential breaches of the ABC’s editorial guidelines.
An insider source indicated that receiving over 1000 viewer complaints for a single programme was virtually “unheard of.” ABC’s Ombudsman office, chaired by Ita Buttrose, is mandated to investigate all formal complaints of editorial failures, report its findings, and possibly make recommendations to the board.
The coronation broadcast, overseen by the ABC news division, is also set to undergo an informal review led by Managing Director David Anderson and Head of News Justin Stevens. An ABC spokesperson has yet to comment on these internal reviews. However, former ABC board member Joe Gersh told The Australian that the public broadcaster is set to release “further commentary” in the coming weeks.
Last week, ABC Radio listeners criticised the “appalling” timing of the discussion on the damaging legacies of the institution. However, many acknowledged the legitimacy of such topics, suggesting they would be more suitable at a different time in the broadcast schedule.
Meanwhile, the Australian Monarchist League (AML) has criticised ABC for its “despicable” coverage of King Charles’s coronation, accusing the broadcaster of bias against the British royal family. AML’s Philip Benwell encouraged supporters to lodge formal complaints against the ABC, citing “vitriolic attacks” on the monarchy and the British settlement.
Liberal MP Julian Leeser echoed these sentiments, stating that only a quarter of the panelists invited by the broadcaster were monarchists. He also condemned the targeting of journalist Stan Grant, who received racist abuse following his contributions to the coverage.
ABC’s coronation coverage was hosted by journalists Julia Baird and Jeremy Fernandez, featuring nine guests. The broadcaster had advertised a two-hour special before the event, promising a discussion on “how relevant the monarchy is to the lives of Australians and within the broader Commonwealth in 2023.”
SOURCE – The Australian and The Guardian
I’m sorry to say that Stan Grant lost my support a long time ago. And it’s not even that’s he’s an Abriginal but he goes on and on about it like a broken record. He’s a blanket wet