ABC Media Watch host condemns his own network for Alice Springs report

ABC Media Watch host Paul Barry has slammed his own network for describing an Alice Springs crisis meeting as a ‘white supremacist fest’.

The network issued a grovelling apology earlier this week and admitted it had provided ‘incomplete’ coverage of the Save Alice Springs meeting.

Now, Mr Barry has accused the public broadcaster of ‘eroding years of goodwill and trust’ it had fostered in the Northern Territory.

He also said that the report lacked balance and should ‘never have been put to air’.

Appearing on Media Watch, Mr Barry said: ‘Balance was indeed very much missing in the ABC’s report, which aired across AM and News Radio.

‘There was no attempt to explain what the meeting was about or canvass the views of the majority.

‘And having watched it in full, and talked to journalists who went along, we think the story should never have been put to air.

‘Local ABC journalists were angry, too. They say the story has caused a backlash against the ABC in the NT and eroded years of trust and goodwill.’

Mr Barry was also critical of his network’s apology when it eventually came.

‘It’s not the strongest apology, and the story is still up, unchanged. And why the ABC couldn’t say it on Wednesday is beyond me.

‘But at least they have now admitted the mistake. Let’s hope they can learn from it.’

The meeting saw around 3,000 Alice Springs locals discuss their concerns over the out-of-control youth crime wave spreading throughout their community.

Appearing on Media Watch, Mr Barry said: ‘Balance was indeed very much missing in the ABC’s report, which aired across AM and News Radio’

ABC Indigenous Affairs correspondent Carly Williams’ live cross on TV of the meeting said many people had left the meeting early and that ‘a non-indigenous person’ had described the meeting as ‘a disgusting display of white supremacy’

The ABC apologised after sparking backlash over its coverage of an Alice Springs crisis meeting that was described as a ‘white supremacist fest’

The ABC was accused of bias after interviewing people who slammed the meeting as ‘racist’ with one labelling it ‘scary’ and a ‘white supremacist fest’ in spite of the fact Indigenous leaders were also present at the gathering.

The public broadcaster faced the threat of an official investigation over its coverage that was aired on its flagship current affairs show AM and in another TV report.

The ABC released a statement on Saturday apologising to its audience. 

‘We acknowledge that one report on AM was incomplete, and did not adequately cover the full context of the meeting or the range of perspectives expressed at it,’ it read.

‘ABC News apologises to audiences for providing an incomplete picture of the event in this instance.’

The public broadcaster went on to say it had ‘reportedly accurately’ on the views of ‘some people who attended the community meeting’.

‘However, this report should have included a broader range of perspectives expressed at the meeting and further information about what was discussed, to provide additional context,’ the statement read.

‘Following this report, ABC News published additional coverage of the issue which included a broader range of perspectives and context.’

The ABC stood behind its journalists saying it had extensively covered the ongoing issues of substance abuse and public violence in the area.