Auntie’s slip is showing, yet again – and, yet again, it’s hanging too far to the left.
In reaction to yet another report finding that Australia’s [taxpayer-funded leftist propaganda network] public broadcaster is not exactly living up to its statutory requirement to be balanced and impartial, ABC chair Ita Buttrose self-righteously huffed and puffed that releasing the report was “disrespectful”. Apparently, the Australian taxpayers’ right to know how their money is being spent is beyond the pale of “respectful” lefty manners.
Now the ABC is being “disrespected” again – this time by the nation’s media watchdog itself
A contentious ABC program that scrutinised the Murray-Darling Basin Plan breached impartiality rules, according to a months-long investigation by the media watchdog.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority said on Tuesday the Four Corners episode Cash Splash – which aired in July last year – should have provided more information and perspectives from supporters of the controversial water management scheme.
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a Howard-era policy which aims to balance environmental, social and economic demands in managing water use from the river system which spans four Australian states.
Four Corners questioned whether the scheme, which involves the government buying back water rights from farmers, was saving water and providing taxpayers with value for money. The news and current affairs program aired allegations that millions of dollars are being handed to big business at the taxpayer’s expense.
After the episode went to air, lobby groups including the National Farmers’ Federation condemned the program for being “totally one-sided and misleading”.
Even the ABC’s own Media Watch was forced to make the stunning admission that the program was biased.
“[Four Corners] should not ignore inconvenient evidence or fail to present one side of the argument,” Media Watch host Paul Barry said at the time[…]
“Australian audiences expect the ABC to give proper treatment to differing perspectives when exploring controversial issues,” [ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin] said. “Unfortunately, on this occasion, this did not occur.”
An ABC spokeswoman said the broadcaster respectfully disagreed with the watchdog’s ruling.
The Age
There’s that “respect” talk again. This time apparently, it means that the ABC is once again going to blithely refuse to be held to its legal obligations.
It is law that the ABC be impartial and adhere to good journalistic practice. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act demands that “the gathering and presentation by the Corporation of news and information is accurate and impartial according to the recognized standards of objective journalism”.
But the luvvies at the ABC have apparently decided that they’re a law unto themselves.
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