The ABC managing director, David Anderson, has defended the broadcaster’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, including an interview with Basem Naim, the Hamas head of international relations.
Liberal senators Hollie Hughes and Sarah Henderson targeted the ABC over the interview 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson conducted with the senior Hamas leader on 17 October. Ferguson pressed Naim on claims Hamas did not intend to target civilians in the deadly terrorist attack in southern Israel.
Anderson defended the interview as editorially justified as it gave an opportunity to test claims being put forward by Hamas.
“Hamas being responsible for the attack on Israel, which put them at the centre of the events that need to be understood by everybody, by interviewing one of their leaders we were able to test … some of the propaganda and outright lies being spread by Hamas,” Anderson said through interruptions.
“And to be able to challenge them on the lies that they are spreading, which is what happened in that interview.
“In this case, this is editorially justified to interview that representative given the heinous act that they did, to challenge them on the claims and the misinformation that they spread.”
Anderson said he would look at how the interview was represented on the ABC’s rewatch platforms, but he disagreed with Henderson’s claims it was a “disgraceful interview” she claimed “undermined the ABC’s credibility”.
“As this conflict unfolds, senator, we’ve interviewed that individual. Whether or not we interview that individual again, I can’t say, but it is not something that we do lightly, but we do it when we feel that there’s an editorial reason to do it.”
Anderson said he would not remove the interview, but will ensure there is a description of the interview “because it needs to be quite specific to the fact that this individual was representing a terrorist organisation”.
Henderson turned her attack on the interview into a criticism of the director of ABC news and current affairs, Justin Stevens, while citing her experience working with the ABC almost three decades ago.
“I will put to you that your head of news and current affairs, Justin Stevens, is fundamentally failing in his job. I mean, this is an extremely controversial decision you’ve made,” she said.
“I believe, as a former host of the Victorian edition of the 7.30 report, I believe it’s a reprehensible decision. This would never be made in my time. And the fact that these sorts of things are being published with your head of news and current affairs seemingly endorsing this, is a disgrace.”
Anderson disagreed: “I don’t know if he does or he doesn’t and I will say on the record that Justin Stevens is an excellent director.”
He did confirm that the ABC’s Middle East correspondent Tom Joyner was under investigation over a comment he made in a group chat with other foreign correspondents questioning claims of atrocities in the southern Israel terrorist attack.
In a message that was leaked to other media outlets, Joyner referred to one of the reports as “bullshit”, which was questioned by other journalists in the chat.
Anderson said Joyner regretted the comment and an investigation had begun, but reminded the committee the journalist deserved procedural fairness.
“I know that Mr Joyner is quite remorseful and apologetic for the words that he used.
“He was at the time trying to do what journalists were doing; he was trying to verify what sources could back up what claims were being made at the time.”
Anderson said staff were aware of the ABC’s social media guidelines and rejected repeated claims from Hughes the broadcaster was “antisemitic”.
