Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 8:15:17 to 8:18:09
Officials provide details from the SBS style guide regarding the attribution of terrorist designations and the requirement for impartial reporting on the Middle East.
Topics: Israel, National security
Speakers: Hon Clare O'Neil, Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Ms Mandi Wicks
If it's the one that I I think you're referring to, um we have gone through a process of updating all our guidance, as you mentioned, that's a 2023 document.
Um I've got a 23 version with the 23 version, yes, indeed.
That has since been updated.
And and has that been updated to include the direction that Hamas should be referred to as a terrorist prescribed terrorist organisation?
Our guidance still says that Hamas is a designated terrorist organisation by the Australian government immediately.
And what is could you give me that reference?
Uh it would be in our style guide document, um, which I don't have to hand, but I can absolutely provide that to you.
Ms. O'Neill, do you have that document to hand?
Uh I can get it up, Senator. Um so the style guide entry was last reviewed in June 2025. Um the it's it's a reasonably long entry. Uh it says Palestinian political and military group operating in the Palestinian territories. Its name is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic resistance movement. Distinct and this is obviously it's the style guide, so this applies to all of our content. Distinguished political party from the militant wing where editorially relevant, and there's uh some examples of that. Hamas in its entirety is listed as a terrorist organisation by Australia and other countries. SBS does not describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation, except in circumstances where the description is a direct quote or can be attributed, for example, Hamas is a designated terrorist organisation by some countries, including Australia or individuals or organizations describe themselves as terrorists or being responsible for acts of terrorism. And then there's sort of some links to other entries and some background and links to other relevant entries in the style guide about the conflict.
Okay, and is that reflected in your reporting? I look, we've just looked quite extensively at your reporting on this issue and uh the continuing reference to Hamas is to militants and terrorists is used sort of in quotation marks. So look, I that's a an anecdotal review, clearly my office, we don't have the capacity to review everything, but it just seems that that the reporting, Ms. O'Neill uh and Ms. Wicks doesn't appear to um your journalists don't seem to be willingly wanting to describe Hamas as terrorists, a terrorist organisation.
If there is a particular story of concern, obviously I'm happy to look into it, but that is certainly the guidance and hundreds of times in the last three years and beyond, we have made that reference.