ABC journalists need to focus more on stories which affects ‘average Australian families’ and cover viral content including homegrown ‘villain’ Salim Mehajer, an internal audit has revealed.
The taxpayer-funded network closely reviewed an eight-week block of its televised bulletins after it was accused of having an ‘elite’ and ‘left-wing’ bias.
The ABC compared itself against Channel Seven, Nine and Ten broadcasts and found it was covering a limited range of news and failed to include major stories which received extensive coverage on other stations.
The taxpayer-funded network closely reviewed an eight-week block of its televised bulletins after it was accused of having an ‘elite’ and ‘left-wing’ bias (ABC broadcast pictured)
ABC journalists need to focus more on stories which affects ‘average Australian families’ and cover viral content including homegrown ‘villain’ Salim Mehajer, (pictured) an internal audit has revealed
It came to the conclusion that their lack of news diversity – which included selecting ‘substantially different’ content than their news rivals – was stopping the ABC from attracting the ‘widest possible audience’.
A comparative breakdown of stories covered by the ABC and rival networks found the government network had zero crime stories on the same day a baby was attacked with meat cleaver by a grandmother, a boy was shot in the face and a German backpacker had his teeth smashed in.
‘To characterise it crudely, an ABC bulletin might leave an anxious viewer sleepless over global instability, while Channel 7 will leave them more worried about crime or violence at the end of their own street,’ the review noted.
One particular topic the ABC was curiously silent about was the notorious narrative of disgraced former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer.
Incidents such as Mehajer’s car crash and failure to appear in court were hurriedly covered by almost all Australian news outlets, except the ABC.
The taxpayer-funded network (Sydney office pictured) closely reviewed an eight-week block of its televised bulletins after it was accused of having an ‘elite’ and ‘left-wing’ bias
One particular topic the ABC (Broadcast pictured) was curiously silent about was the notorious narrative of disgraced former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer
‘Silence again from the ABC despite demonstrable local interest in a home-grown Sydney villain,’ the audit read.
Reviewers pointed out the ABC tended to cover items without colour or editorialising, while commercial reporters provided their own commentary, sometimes through sarcasm,
The ABC’s glaring omissions were called into question in the audit and investigators suggested the broadcaster focus on more ‘hip-pocket’ issues which affect everyday Australians.
‘There are some thoughtful, unique ways we could add more local, human interest and hip pocket stories to our coverage,’ it said.
‘We should also be more consistently concerned with effects on average citizens and spend more time speaking to ordinary Australians about their daily challenges.’
It came to the conclusion that their lack of news diversity – which included selecting ‘substantially different’ content than their news rivals – was stopping the ABC from attracting the ‘widest possible audience’
The ABC’s glaring omissions were called into question in the audit and investigators suggested the broadcaster focus on more ‘hip-pocket’ issues which affect everyday Australians
The ABC compared itself against other networks (Channel Seven pictured) and found it covered far less crime and human interest stories
The top three most covered topics on ABC broadcasts were found to be Federal politics, sport and social policy issues.
Crime and ‘general interest’ stories were the preferred items on the agenda of Channel Seven, Nine and Ten.
The report also found ABC Radio ignored several important local stories in favour of covering political or economic content.
The review did not find any ‘noticeable issues’ of impartiality with the standards of ABC reporting and noted often the broadcaster would play a story with an ‘impeccable straight bat’.