ABC Union Staff Voice No-Confidence in Managing Director Amidst Alleged Bias Claims
In a significant turn of events, over 100 members of the ABC union have expressed strong disapproval of the organisation’s head, David Anderson.
This development follows concerns about alleged pro-Israel bias within the broadcaster. John Lyons, ABC’s esteemed global affairs editor, articulated his disappointment in the network, suggesting it had failed to shield its employees from external complaints.
A critical meeting was held on Monday, resulting in 125 out of 128 union members voting against Anderson’s leadership. This overwhelming no-confidence vote has prompted the ABC board to schedule an urgent meeting on Tuesday to deliberate on the raised issues.
In response to these events, David Anderson issued a late-night statement on Monday, reinforcing his commitment to ABC’s journalistic integrity.
“I am proud of the ABC’s journalism and the great work of our journalists.”
“As ABC Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief I have always defended the ABC’s journalism. I have worked hard to stand by the ABC’s journalists and ensure they are protected from punitive behaviour that would hinder their work and ultimately affect the independence of the ABC – whether that be from AFP raids, political pressure, powerful organisations or lobby groups.”
“On behalf of ABC staff and in the interests of the Australian public, I have and will continue to robustly defend the work of our journalists, who often face significant external pressure themselves.”
“As Editor-in-Chief I accept this task with great honour. It is not a role I take lightly. Any suggestion I would not defend our position when external pressure is applied – regardless of where that pressure is coming from – is offensive and incorrect.”
“I have listened to and heard the concerns of members of staff and I will meet with them in the coming weeks.”
“As I said in my statement last week, the ABC rejects any claim that it has been influenced by any external pressure.”
These remarks from Anderson come in the wake of an online ABC staff meeting on Monday, where numerous participants disclosed that Lyons, who is scheduled to travel to Israel on Tuesday to report on the Hamas conflict, voiced concerns about the broadcaster’s impartiality and trustworthiness being undermined by recent events.
Lyons highlighted what he termed one of ABC’s “darkest days” following a report by the Sydney Morning Herald. This report included leaked WhatsApp messages documenting a letter-writing campaign led by a group of pro-Israel lawyers targeting Anderson and ABC chair Ita Buttrose around the time of broadcaster and activist Antoinette Lattouf‘s dismissal.
Lyons’s words underscored his sense of embarrassment working for the ABC after reading those messages.
“When I read those WhatsApp messages, for the first time ever, and hopefully the last time ever, I felt embarrassed to work for the ABC.
I was embarrassed that a group of 156 lawyers could laugh at how easy it was to manipulate the ABC,”
Lyons said, according to several sources.
He further criticised the ABC for succumbing to pressures from a lobbying group, asserting that their actions represented a capitulation to foreign influence.
“The clue is in the name: Lawyers for Israel thought that they could run a campaign to bully an ABC journalist out of her job and they did, they succeeded”,
Lyons stated, highlighting the perceived success of the lawyers’ campaign.
SOURCE: SMH & The Age
He and Ita Buttrose should be fired and replaced ASAP they’ve ruined the ABC!!!!