At the ABC, Diversity is the Opposite of Diversity
“ABC Life,” writes former ABC Life deputy editor Osman Faruqi, “adopted the radical idea that in order to reach diverse audiences it was important to build a diverse team.”
“ABC Life,” writes former ABC Life deputy editor Osman Faruqi, “adopted the radical idea that in order to reach diverse audiences it was important to build a diverse team.”
But just 63 words later, diversity cheerleader and pickles correspondent Faruqi applauds ABC Life's dull monoculture:
It was the first, and only, time in my career as a journalist that I worked with people who had similar background and life experience to me.
Diversity means everyone is Osman Faruqi. Among the former Greens candidate’s other observations:
Survey after survey shows that the ABC is considered the most trustworthy media organisation in the country. But what that figure masks is the fact that there are significant communities who consume very little, if any, ABC content.
And who might be among those ABC-shunning “significant communities”?
Younger Australians (those aged 25-45), people who live outside of the inner-city, and those from migrant backgrounds are far less likely to engage with the ABC than the older, wealthier, white audiences who make up most of the broadcaster’s loyal fanbase.
Non-ABC consumers are the majority of Australians, yet all of us pay for it. It’s taxation without representation. Do continue, Osman:
The criticism of ABC Life … was draining … Sometimes the attacks were personal, waged against individual team members.
Try working at the Daily Telegraph, wimp.
Lifestyle journalism will still exist at the ABC, but it will go back to being largely the domain of older, white audiences who consume it on local radio, RN and TV.
Young Australians who are facing precarious economic and living situations, who need it more than ever, are being let down by one of the country’s most valued institutions.
Their salaries are drained by this country’s most overvalued institution, and their culture is corroded by the same acidic entity.
Sell it. Free the people.