Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 6:24:39 to 6:29:18
Senator Henderson returns to the vetting of Gaza-based staff and the ABC's communication with the IDF regarding evidence of Hamas links among stringers.
Topics: National security, Integrity
Speakers: Hugh Marks, Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Gavin Fang
Uh thank you very much, Chair. Look, I just want to just want to raise a couple of additional concerns in relation to the Hamas terrorists and the links with the ABC. Uh you mentioned that you had asked your international staff to contact the IDF, is that correct?
Yes.
And and would are they journalists working full-time for the ABC?
Yes.
So they're not you haven't engaged any third party to contact the ABC to contact the ID?
Not that I'm aware of, Senator.
And can I ask who's doing that work?
Um I would have to come back to you with a specific name, Senator. It's part of our international team, is my as what I'm aware of.
Based in Sydney. I'm based in Sydney.
I believe so, but that we might have you I'd have to go and give you the exact detail how that approach was made, Senator.
Um I just want to ask what the ABC is doing to vet journalists and media companies in Gaza to make sure that you are not hiring terrorists.
I mean, Senator, most of our journalism comes from ABC employees, long-standing employees, the journalism part. You know, on occasion we will hire stringers. These are often people that facilitate our access to or use of facilities in these places. They're not necessarily providing journalism or influencing editorial. So I think you can rest assured that you know most of the the vast majority of editorial material that we provide is from long-standing and proven ABC verified journalists, I think, Mr. Fang, the role of stringer is somewhat different to the role of journalist in this particular case.
Sure, but Ms. Marks, given what has happened, uh what steps are you taking, if any, to vet journalists and media companies to ensure that you are not hiring Hamas terrorists.
I mean, Senator, as I said, the journalism that we do is is generally uh and for the great bulk of it from ABC, you know, people that have been vetted through our process and obviously build up reputation over time. On occasion, when it is difficult in a location, um, sometimes as you would appreciate, Gaza would have been at the time, sometimes Iran can be at the time. Um we don't have a lot of access to those places. Um those occasions, sometimes we will reach out to stringers or third-party companies to seek to get access or footage or whatever it might be. We go through a vigorous process to ensure that we vet you know everything that is delivered to the ABC. Obviously, there is an allegation in this particular case that a stringer or fixer, again, which is someone that's helping us on ground rather than doing journalism is involved in Hamas. We are, as Mr. Fang said, taking very seriously the nature of that allegation and seeking to verify it ourselves. Um but I think you can take confidence that our journalism is influenced by long-standing ABC employees.
Uh in relation to the Hamas ID numbers linked to the ABC stringer. Uh they have been published on the IDF's website. So I just so they are actually publicly available.
I'm sure the IDF uh will respond to our inquiries and and again we will assess and take appropriate action, as will I imagine the Committee for Protection of Independence.
When did you make those inquiries? Can I ask?
Um I don't have the exact date in front of me, Senator. It was in the past couple of weeks when the uh the CPJ made it, made changes to its list.
Uh have you interrogated the CPJ's list?
Uh we've spoken, my understanding is we've spoken to them and looked at and and had a conversation with them about the way that they do their work to try to make sure that we're comfortable with that. Um I I wouldn't I don't have information about whether we've gone like name by name if that is what you're asking.
Well, there's 19 people that have been identified as being Hamas terrorists on their list. Have you double checked or cross-checked that list?
In what way?
In to ensure that you haven't directly or indirectly hired one of those people on that list?
Um I'd have to take that on notice and see exactly what we've done, Senator, but uh but I would no, I'd take that on notice.