ABC makes itself a political target Chris Kenny. 2nd July, 2013. Anyone who argues the ABC doesn’t need a major shake-up must be kidding themselves after last night’s episode of Q&A. The weekly public affairs forum usually is skewed heavily towards left viewpoints – with ALP, Greens and progressive guests often outnumbering conservatives four to two - counting host Tony Jones as one of the progressives. But last night it went all out, with five on the left, unleashing their antagonism towards the sole conservative, Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella. Apart from Jones, the other panelists repeatedly interrupted and interrogated Mirabella, challenging every point she tried to make, preventing her from finishing, and in the case of ALP minister, Tanya Plibersek, sneering and accusing her of faking concern for refugees. It was pretty ugly stuff. The other panelists were regular ABC guest and advertising executive, Todd Sampson, Labor advertising consultant, Neil Lawrence, and public relations consultant and close friend of Kevin Rudd, Sue Cato. The program regularly infuriates mainstream viewers because of its green/left bias, often manifested through an open-borders approach to the asylum-seeker issue, climate alarmism, campaigning for gay marriage and a preoccupation with such political ploys as the gender wars. What should be a terrific clearing house of national debate and ideas has become the temperature gauge of progressive bias at the national broadcaster. But last night’s aggressive five-on-one format, excitedly talking up the prospects of a Labor revival under Rudd yet dismissing the turmoil within Labor, took it to a new low. Jones showed his true colours with a final barb at Mirabella asking if it helped to have Rupert Murdoch on her side. This from a man paid by taxpayers to be objective, yet sounding for all the world like a spruiker. On Thursday night the program will be in Jakarta, no doubt repeatedly asserting that Australia cannot turn back asylum-seeker boats, even though it has been done before. The Coalition will want to avoid an open conflict with the ABC this side of the election. And their communications spokesman (and my former boss), Malcolm Turnbull, is, of course, an ABC favourite. But clearly the organisation has given up even pretending to provide balance in its programming and current affairs coverage. On the night of Rudd’s ascension, for instance, the 7.30 program sought insight from a former Labor pollster and a former Rudd spin doctor! The ABC is required by law to provide pluralistic coverage for all Australians – and to provide political balance and fairness. Along with SBS these are the only media paid for by taxpayers and accountable to them, via government, in this way. It is why taxpayers demand better. By failing to make any impact in this area – in fact by allowing it to get worse - ABC managing director Mark Scott has made himself an obvious target for an incoming Coalition government. But changes will have to be more dramatic than a mere change of leadership. Funding cuts can be justified to help repair the budget and, not so much as a punishment for the ABC but as a way to force the public broadcaster to focus on what should be its core work – informative, pluralistic and unbiased coverage of national affairs.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 07:35:39 +0000
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