Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 7:04:10 to 7:06:39
Discussion focuses on the ABC's consideration of community standards regarding violence against women and why editorial controls failed to prevent the broadcast.
Topics: Human rights, Integrity
Speakers: Hugh Marks, Senator Dean Smith
Marks, what other instances can you recall of content depicting, describing or condition or condoning physical violence against a named living Australian woman, the ABC has approved or broadcast?
I mean that's a very difficult question for me to answer. I'm not aware of any uh I don't know, Mr. Fang, if you're aware of any. No. Um I'm sure there are many instances of uh of we have much comedy. I'm sure there's many instances of matters where you know prominent Australians have been subject to comedy on the ABC, whether it's in the nature of violence or not, I can't I can't respond.
The Ombudsman acknowledged that violent language directed at a named public figure may have greater impact because violence against women is a significant concern. What consideration did the ABC give to that issue before broadcast rather than after complaints were received?
Um Senator, the as I've mentioned, the programme uh was referred to editorial policies for uh guidance as to whether it it uh met um the editorial uh guidelines or not. Um so you know it wasn't a matter that was taken lightly, it was a matter that was subject to review, appropriate review, as I said, the wrong decisions were made, um, but it was subject to review within the organisation before broadcast.
Finally, how can taxpayers have confidence in the ABC's existing editorial controls when material which the managing director subsequently says should not have aired, nevertheless passed the production editorial compliance and classification processes?
Um Senator, we have, as I've said, put in place um uh clear clearer guidelines to ensure that not only matters that may be in breach of editorial guidelines but also matters that may be controversial or or might be considered to be in bad taste are upward referred. Um now will everything get through uh or come through that process? I hope so. Might there be errors that are still made? It's possible. Um a lot of content is made across the organisation every day in in various forms, um and it's impossible for me or anyone to stay across that um as an individual, um, but I think we can take confidence with the changes that we've made both to the upward referral process and the guidelines that we are far better placed than when this matter occurred.