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Despite clear evidence of bias, ABC News has offered no meaningful response to the gender diversity report released in June.

In late June, I undertook a bias analysis of ABC News items related to gender diversity topics. The analysis did not include opinion articles, but only those in the online news section.

The study also excluded Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual topics as these relate to sexual preference. The study focused on gender identity topics — the Transgender, Queer and Agender letters of the initialism.

As you may have read, the bias leaned strongly to the progressive left with a -1.72 rating. Opinion presented as fact, bias by omission and subjective qualifying adjectives were typical descriptions given by the AllSides Media Bias Tool.

In other words, ABC News online skewed reporting on gender diversity issues in favour of TQA ideology. Balance seldom occurred.

Three Recommendations

On top of that, public interest news stories that questioned TQA ideology were usually ignored. The UK’s Cass Review into “gender-affirming care” received only one article, while the verdict in the Family Court of Australia by Justice Andrew Strum was completely ignored.

Remember that this is in ABC’s news division, not their opinion section.

In the study, I suggested three steps to rectify the bias:

1. That the ABC News division transfer all 70 of the biased articles identified in the study to an ‘opinion’ section where objective journalism is not expected.
2. That ABC’s management resigns their membership of outside alliances — like ACON’s Australian Workplace Equality Index — which could potentially bias news reporting or could be seen to potentially bias news reporting.
3. That ABC News’ management and staff undertake anti-bias news training so that the outlet’s news reporting can reflect the objective and balanced approach sought in the ABC’s Charter.

How Did ABC Respond to the Study?

The study (see here), was emailed to the ABC Ombudsman whose initial response was that the report was noted and made available to the Editorial Policies team.

I followed this up with an email and snail-mail package to the Ombudsman containing the full study, including the AllSides data and descriptors. The study was also sent to Media Watch, together with a meeting request with Ombudsman Fiona Cameron.

Their email response was simply to pass the buck. According to Fiona Cameron:

Broader editorial decision making does not fall within our remit, however please be assured that I have passed the report and documents onto the Editorial Director for their information.

Thank you, Fiona. But here’s the rub.

The Editorial Director is Mr Gavin Fang, pictured below. Besides listing his credentials in news, the ABC website discloses some interesting information about Mr Fang:

He has held a number of positions supporting diversity and inclusion including a short stint as the ABC’s Head of Diversity and Inclusion. He is the executive sponsor for ABC Inclusive.

Bias All the Way Down

So let’s get this straight: the Editorial Director’s job is ensuring objective journalism dominates ABC News reporting. This would include ensuring journalists do not let outside organisations influence reporting, and that news articles attempt to show both sides of an argument if two sides exist.

According to ABC Managing Director David Anderson:

The Editorial Director position is crucial to maintaining the highest editorial standards expected of our journalists and content makers across all areas of the ABC and ensuring our independence and editorial integrity are always protected. (Read more here).

In news reporting, “highest editorial standards” means objective reporting. “Editorial integrity” means reporting free from influence or bias.

Mr Fang cannot serve two completely different masters. One master is demanding objective journalism, free from outside influence. The other is supporting and promoting TQA ideology via ACON’s Pride in Diversity membership.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Gavin Fang is in any way promoting bias in ABC News reporting. But it may be possible that Mr Fang is so overworked with his other role in Inclusion that naughty TQA Ally inmate journalists, or their captains, may be running the ABC News asylum.

Where’s the Accountability?

As at the 9th of July, Gavin Fang and his team have 50 days to respond to the study. If there’s no response, I’ll be taking the study and its implications to the Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA).

On the 21st of July, I requested an interview with Gavin Fang for my Philtered podcast episode on “Trust and the Media”, to be released in August.

He declined.

Yet not all ABC journalists are some way blind to bias. As ABC Radio Regional Morning presenter Nick Rheinberger recently said:

It’s fair to say there’s opinions on both sides. It’s part of our role to give you opinions on both sides if we can.

It’s the “if we can” phrase that worries me.

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Republished with thanks to Philtered on Substack. Originally titled “ABC NEWS Bias: An update”. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.