ABC Clueless or biased?

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ABC board appoints Ray Martin to conduct audit of Q&A following Zaky Mallah episode
Date July 1, 2015 - 5:44PM
Matthew Knott

The ABC has appointed television veteran Ray Martin to conduct an audit of its flagship panel program Q&A, which has been mired in controversy after it invited a former terror suspect to ask a question live on air.

The ABC board also announced on Wednesday that the program's executive producer, Peter McEvoy, has received a formal warning for misconduct for last Monday's episode, featuring Zaky Mallah.

The board agreed with its management's view that there had been an "error of judgment" in allowing Mr Mallah to appear live on air to ask junior minister Steve Ciobo a question on the government's proposed citizenship laws.

"Given his criminal background and past public statements, the live broadcast meant that the ABC was not in a position to manage unpredictable or inappropriate actions or responses," the board said in a statement.

"There was inadequate consideration given to important issues around his presence in the studio, considering his previous actions, his desire for the media spotlight and some of his public comments.

"He should not have been allowed to participate in the program from the studio audience."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has called for "heads to roll" at the ABC after the episode was repeated later in the week and slammed Q&A as a "lefty lynch mob". Mr Abbott's parliamentary secretary Alan Tudge withdrew from a scheduled appearance on this week's episode of Q&A.

The editorial audit, which is independent of the ABC, will be a broad examination of Q&A's selection of topics and panellists over 22 programs this year. It will also examine the way audiences are selected and the use of tweets from the public live on air.

Martin will conduct the review with former SBS managing director Shaun Brown.

Martin, a former Gold Logie winner, has worked on 60 Minutes, Four Corners, Midday and This Day Tonight during his 50 years in broadcasting. He began his career as an ABC cadet and has appeared on Q&A as a panellist.

The ABC's most recent independent editorial review, conducted by former Australian Financial Review journalist Colleen Ryan, attracted controversy when it found ABC host Sarah Ferguson was too adversarial in an interview with Treasurer Joe Hockey following last year's budget.

The Department of Communications this week finalised a separate review into how Mr Mallah came to appear on Q&A and the program's security arrangements. That review has yet to be released publicly.

Really Ray Martin... the ALP's Ray? And a guy from SBS.... well lets take a quinella on that being a whitewash then.

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This is sensationalism at its best. Yes - extremist muslims are our "enemies", but if we push them all underground - we won't have a clue what they're up to.

If Mallah had been challenged, he might have said more which could have been helpful to the AFP, but instead the rabid right have used this beat up to promote more fear amongst us while at the same time using it as yet another excuse to get rid of the ABC.

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HUH!!!!
Well you really have outdone yourself there mantra... just what are you on about?
Here I was thinking the topic was about ABC bias and you turn it into invading Muslim Hordes and Right bashing...

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Excerpt

Zaky Mallah Q&A affair another case of ABC leftist groupthink
The Australian
July 04, 2015 12:00AM
Gerard Henderson

And herein lies the crux of the problem, which the ABC’s decision to engage former SBS supremo Shaun Brown and left-wing journalist Ray Martin to review Q&A will not resolve.

Despite Scott’s promise of almost a half-decade ago to provide greater diversity within the public broadcaster, the ABC does not have a conservative presenter, producer or editor for any of its prominent television, radio or online outlets. Not one. This leads to a leftist or left-of-centre mindset where alternative, challenging views are not heard.

In his book Ten O’Clock News, former BBC editorial director Roger Mosey refers to what he calls the left-liberal groupthink that prevails within the British public broadcaster.

A similar phenomenon exists within the ABC, leading to ABC leftists such as McEvoy to invite Mallah on to Q&A without anyone realising the error of his ­action.

Gerard Henderson is executive director of the Sydney Institute. His Media Watch Dog blog can be found at theaustralian.com.au.

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How incredibly childish of Abbott. He takes one step forward - then two steps back. This means of course that the government will no longer have a spokesman on Q & A. Let's see how that helps them, especially as Abbott is down in the polls again.

Deputy Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has withdrawn from a scheduled appearance on the ABC's Q&A, citing a decree from Prime Minister Tony Abbott that his frontbenchers are to boycott the program.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal ... i5olb.html

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Culturally, it will be much more difficult. The ABC has a deep-­seated Leftist culture emanating from the days of Marxist radio manager Allan Ashbolt who, through the 50s, 60s and 70s appointed like-mined people so as to effectively capture the work practices and mindsets of the organisation. Thus the natural, instinctive starting point for the ABC tends to be left of centre and, in this era of journalistic advocacy, rather than disinterested reporting, individual and collective biases have become entrenched and plainly obvious to audiences.

It must be said that advocacy within journalism is not limited to the ABC or SBS. But, as taxpayer-funded organisations, their job is to eradicate rather than encourage bias and groupthink.

Mark Scott came to the office a decade ago promising to steer a course to the middle. Along the way he was captured by his staff and he looks like a supporter of the Left. His successor will face essentially two choices: to put a bomb (metaphorically) under the place, or to chip-chip away at the problem. The Howard government tried the first approach through Donald McDonald and Jonathon Shier and it didn’t work. McDonald also became captured by the prevailing mindset and Shier was cut down by a staff revolt.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/busines ... 7429693792

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How incredibly childish of Abbott. He takes one step forward - then two steps back. This means of course that the government will no longer have a spokesman on Q & A. Let's see how that helps them, especially as Abbott is down in the polls again.

Deputy Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has withdrawn from a scheduled appearance on the ABC's Q&A, citing a decree from Prime Minister Tony Abbott that his frontbenchers are to boycott the program.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/federal ... i5olb.html

Oh dear... I heard it was only until the ABC's own in house enquiry was over.

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How incredibly childish of Abbott. He takes one step forward - then two steps back. This means of course that the government will no longer have a spokesman on Q & A. Let's see how that helps them, especially as Abbott is down in the polls again.

Who cares? I NEVER watch the ABC and especially not their so-called "informative" programs such as QANDA etcetera.

I will admit to looking at the ABC "Just In" area to see what is going on, news wise. Then I head across to that other place to get the unbiased and REAL spin on the item.

“Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see." - Ben Franklin

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Oh dear... I heard it was only until the ABC's own in house enquiry was over.

I thought the inquiry was over and the ABC had apologised. Abbott has a grudge and a personal agenda. This comment hasn't helped his popularity. Half the electorate is made up of "lefties". Now the boycott? Abbott needs his reins tightened again.

Two weeks ago, Abbott told colleagues at a joint meeting of the coalition parties at parliament that Q&A – a weekly panel show that often features politicians, prominent experts and activists as guests – had become a “lefty lynch mob”.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-ne ... -a-program

And to hear this crap from Barnaby Joyce. He doesn't believe what he's saying, nor does anyone else.

BARNABY JOYCE: It is by deference to the Prime Minister that when an instruction comes through that it's obeyed. Otherwise the whole process of Cabinet becomes chaotic. Do I think it would have been good to know about it a little earlier? Yes, that would have been nice. But that's life.

JULIE DOYLE: At the weekend, Barnaby Joyce released the Government's agricultural white paper.

He backed that up with an address at the National Press Club today.

But inevitably, the questions came about his non-appearance on Q and A.

BARNABY JOYCE: This shouldn't be so fascinating. If you get an instruction from the Prime Minister, it's like getting an instruction from your CO in the Army, you don't say, "Oh, look, I'll come back to you on that."

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2015/s4268492.htm

[Malcolm-Red Menstrual Minister]

The ABC is my best friend, I will use the ABC to push for my agenda of being the next Liberal Prime Minister and then to be the first President of Australia

I will have the ABC highlight in the next week or so for another leadership spill. I will have the ABC push and back me to take the Liberal leadership

And to ensure that the ABC knows who side it is on, I will implore more funds towards the ABC

There is no bias from the ABC - I have personally already fully investigated all aspects & reports that the ABC broadcast, and they all have my full endorsement

Remember, as I quote all famous tyrannical dictators who have said in one form or another, the ABC is our friend