The ABC ombudsman has cleared the broadcaster’s coronation coverage from editorial breaches but said the timing on the day of King Charles’ coronation was “jarring for some viewers”.
“While the broadcast did not breach the Corporation’s editorial standards, it was the decision to schedule the panel discussion between 5-6pm while footage of the arrivals at the Abbey was being broadcast, that attracted the most criticism and complaints received by the ABC,” the ABC ombudsman, Fiona Cameron, said.
“There were clearly instances where the footage being presented from London did not relate to the nature of the critical discussion being had by the panel in Australia, which was jarring and distracting for some of the audience as evidenced by complaints received.”
Stan Grant stood down as Q+A host on Monday night saying he needed a break from the media after becoming the target of racist attacks in the wake of the coronation coverage.
Monarchists and sections of the media have been highly critical of the ABC coverage.
Last week the director of ABC News, Justin Stevens, took aim at the “usual sections of the media” for stirring up hate by distorting Grant’s contribution to the debate when he appeared on the coronation coverage panel, which was hosted by Jeremy Fernandez and Julia Baird.
The ombudsman said the impartiality standards do not require that every perspective receives equal time, nor that every facet of every argument is presented. “The role of the Monarchy to modern Australia and the Indigenous perspectives presented were legitimate and newsworthy topics for discussion on the rare occasion of a Coronation and in the context of ABC’s extensive coverage,” Cameron said.
“In these circumstances, and for the reasons outlined above, I do not find a breach of the impartiality standards.
In its defence ABC News told the ombudsman the discussion was not disproportionate and many people who responded negatively to it believe the discussion shouldn’t have been canvassed at all.
“Often in news coverage journalists are told ‘now is not the time’ to discuss certain issues,” ABC News said.
“This line of argument is often used to shut down uncomfortable debates and to silence critical perspectives
“Discussing the function of the Crown in relation to Indigenous people for perhaps a sixth of the three-hour coverage before the ceremony itself began was not disproportionate given the importance and contemporary focus on the history of colonisation in Australia and elsewhere in recent public discussion and debate.”
Cameron said it was the 5.15pm to 6pm programming block that attracted most complaints and criticism, a total of 1,832.
“Many complaints relate to the ABC’s judgement for scheduling this discussion while guests were entering the Abbey when it might have been expected that the anticipated audience wanted commentary on the proceedings rather than a broader discussion about history,” she said.
However, the ombudsman does not consider non-editorial complaints, which left 61 editorial complaints which claimed the coverage was “unbalanced, biased, disrespectful, inappropriate, offensive, anti-monarchist and poorly timed”.
“After reviewing the footage, it is my opinion that the content complaints received by the Ombudsman’s Office are most appropriately considered against the following impartiality standards,” she said.
The ABC ombudsman’s office is independent from the corporation’s content-making divisions.
More to come …
