The ABC has accused the Morrison government of using News Corp to attack its journalism after Australia was informed of a series of government inquiries on the broadcaster before the ABC found them.
On Australia’s front page on Wednesday, investigative editor Sharri Markson reported that the ABC was “facing questions from the Morrison government” about the use of independent investigators in its Four Corners report on misconduct by ministers Alan Tudge and Christian Porter.
What Did ABC Say?
But the ABC had not received any questions on Wednesday morning.
“These questions have not yet been received by ABC; It looks like they were first sent to Australia, ”the broadcaster said in a statement.
“The ABC received questions yesterday from Sharri Markson of Australia, to which we have responded in full.
“This exchange led to a single page of the ‘Special’ page in Australia today entitled: ‘Did ABC have Ministers?’
“We repeat the answer we have already given to this question.
“No.”
The Australian report follows a Twitter post on Tuesday in a letter from Communications Minister Paul Fletcher asking ABC chairman Ita Buttrose whether the Four Corners program meets the standards of accurate and impartial journalism.
The letter and leak to Australia have intensified the government’s crackdown on the Four Corners program, which began before the issue was broadcast last month.
A few hours before the program began, ABC chief David Anderson told the Senate that Buttrose had contacted him and that an official of the Minister had contacted another ABC board member to let them know that the matter was coming.
“All I have ever had are questions about whether it will benefit the public,” Anderson told the Senate in the balance when asked to confirm the issue before it was broadcast.
Anderson said it was “surprising” that the Coalition was attacking a system they had not seen.
The Story Is ‘Nonsense’
Fletcher admitted on ABC radio on Tuesday that his “senior broadcaster adviser” had contacted an ABC board member to discuss the Four Corners program before it began. When asked by Patricia Karvelas of the ABC whether the employee had been called to “recruit” a board member, Fletcher said there was nothing “unusual” about his office talking “too often” to the ABC and other media organizations.
Guardian Australia can reveal that the broadcaster’s adviser was Emma McDonald, a former ABC employee who moved to the minister’s office after serving as ABC’s public affairs chief last year.
A spokesman for Fletcher declined to comment.
Markson wrote that the four Coroners were asked “whether the private investigator was conducting a private inspection of senior ministers at the expense of taxpayers during the compilation of his report revealing the private life of politicians.
“The government has raised the issue with the ABC over the controversial Four Corners program by asking ABC chief David Anderson to investigate whether Attorney-General Christian Porter or City Minister Alan Tudge had been targeted – or any other confidential investigation – including paid for by a third party, ”reports the Australian.
“Can the ABC ensure that no prominent minister in the program has been monitored, recorded or any other form of surveillance,” the study said.
Although the ABC told Australia on Tuesday that it had not hired independent investigators and no one had been criticized, the newspaper published an article speculating “The ABC asked: do you have any ministers who wrote the Four Corners report?” on the first page.
Four Corners executive director Sally Neighbor described the story as “ridiculous, horrible nonsense”.
“We invite the public to look into the matter and decide for themselves on the issues raised,” the ABC said.
“The ABC stands for its freedom of journalism and its right to report without fear or favor in the Australian affairs they have a right to know about.”
Markson reported that “new questions” were lodged Tuesday night by Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, but a Senate committee told ABC they had not received them yet.
A spokesman for the communications committee said on Wednesday that questions from a statement from Henderson had been received but declined to say when. They have not been published yet.
Porter refused to accept ABC’s denial of using a private investigator, telling Radio 6PR that he would wait until the broadcaster answered Henderson’s questions by notice.
“I think that if something unusual happens, like an agency or body involving a private investigator following you, you won’t see your intent,” Porter told his city radio.
“I just don’t know that. But look, I understand that some of the more detailed questions are asked in the general procedure for heads of Senate agencies. I think they were different from the questions we would put on ABC from The Australian. Obviously I would be interested to see what the answers to those questions are in due course. But how did you know? ”
