Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 5:15:43 to 5:18:44
David Anderson acknowledges flaws in Mahmud Fazal's work and details changes to the editorial leadership at Four Corners to address management and supervision failures.
Topics: Integrity, Workplace culture
Speakers: Hugh Marks, Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Gavin Fang
So where do things that go so dramatically wrong?
Um I mean, if you were asking me, it it it does feel like um Mr. Fazal was given perhaps not sufficient management and supervision in the exercise of his stories. Um obviously we've also made some quite significant changes to the editorial team for Four Corners as well. Um I think it's an area that we've looked uh more quite broadly at, and I think we feel that we're in the right direction now with really strong new editorial leadership. Um obviously there's already a great team of reporters there, so you know we're feeling very confident about the future. I don't know if you want to add anything to that, Mr. Fang.
Oh, look, the only thing I'd add is that I mean, as you as the MD said, you know, we've taken action against the stories which we didn't think met our standards, and we've looked at those standards and also we're going through a process of having a look at our guidance, particularly around the use of anonymous uh sources and uh how we review that and who needs to know about those uh who the people are and the verification that we need to do. Um there are there are different uh approaches in journalism around um the approach to anonymous sources at times, and it has been convention that not all sources are necessarily named to program EPs and others, but we think that we need to be clearer about that for our teams about what we expect there.
Uh Mr. Marks, can I just put to you this is not just a matter of supervision? Vazar wasn't even qualified, didn't even have the appropriate qualifications to serve in as a preeminent long-form current affairs journalist at Four Corners. And yet he was hired, and when complaints were made a number of years ago, and I know you weren't there at the as managing director. You this is before your time, the ABC covered that up and instead put out a glowing statement saying how much the program and the ABC supported Mr. Vizal. Uh and these concerns included you know threats to others in writing.
Senator, we have obviously looked in detail at all of that since um my arrival at the ABC. I think we can take confidence that there are many great people who do work for four corners, um, and with new editorial leadership. Um we are obviously very confident as to its future, and obviously there were start mistakes made. We've taken action to to rectify those and take the steps that we think are necessary, you know, to put four corners in the best possible position it is to do the best the best work it can, and um, and we don't resile from you know the decisions that are made, they're important decisions, the points you make uh are valid ones. Um I think we've proven that we've taken you know the steps that are necessary.