ABC ombudsman clears Four Corners episode on Russia of wrongdoing

The taxpayer-funded broadcaster’s flagship investigative program has been cleared of breaching impartiality rules after airing an episode some viewers claimed was Russian propaganda.

A Four Corners documentary that was described as “pro-Kremlin” and a “bowl of vomit” has been cleared by the ABC ombudsman of breaching editorial impartiality rules.

In a report published on Monday by ABC ombudsman Fiona Cameron, it was revealed that the March 18 episode titled “Ukraine’s War: The Other Side”, which was compiled by British journalist Sean Langan, resulted in 235 complaints to the ABC with a majority of grievances arguing that it “amounted to Russian propaganda”.

“The complaints raised concerns that the documentary portrayed only one side of the conflict, failed to detail Russian war crimes and human rights violations and sought to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the report said.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, last week hit out after the documentary aired and demanded a meeting with ABC executives over the matter including managing director David Anderson and the program’s executive producer Matthew Carney.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

“The program aired last night on Four Corners, ‘Ukraine’s War: The Other Side’, was the journalistic equivalent of a bowl of vomit,” he said last week.

“It unquestioningly repeated and aired countless blatant lies, historical distortions, racist claims and propaganda narratives emanating from the Kremlin.”

Ms Cameron’s investigation found that the documentary sought to explain the conflict and what it means for civilians living in the war zone, and airing Russia’s side of the front line “is not an endorsement of their actions or views”.

ABC managing director David Anderson. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

In the report, Ms Cameron said the reporters challenged the Russian soldiers and civilians and “the documentary was not Russian propaganda”.

She said the program was “one aspect” of Four Corners’ recent coverage of issues relating to Russia and ABC news and current affairs programs have published “extensive coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and related issues across all its networks on a newsworthy basis over time”.

She also said while some parts of the program “would be confronting and offensive for some”, that “any offence caused by the broadcast, while regrettable, is justified by the editorial context of the documentary”.

Ms Cameron said she was satisfied with the perspectives in the report and said they are not the views of the ABC.

Mr Myroshnychenko was contacted for comment.

Originally published as ABC ombudsman clears Four Corners episode on Russia of wrongdoing