Comments closed: ABC shuts Four Corners Facebook discussion

ABC’s ‘flagship’ current affairs program bars users, deletes comments after being slammed for Fox, Trump inaccuracies.

The ABC has closed off discussion on the Facebook page of its Four Corners program and deleted comments after large numbers of viewers called out the show for blatant bias and inaccuracy in its Monday night attack on Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Murdoch family.

“Trump is living rent free in all your heads, and it’s great. Oh and FYI, This is a rubbish hit piece, Fox hasn’t been for Trump since the election,” one Facebook user wrote in the wake of Monday night’s airing of the first part of a two-part series attacking Fox News for its relationship with Donald Trump.

ABC News headquarters in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

“Four Corners has totally lost its credibility. I can barely watch it now,” said another.

“Something is not quite right with this hitjob’s angle,” wrote a third.

“Fox was no friend to Trump in the 2020 election … called Arizona way too early and declined to call others at all. I am not sure whether ‘truth’ is the aim of this piece,” the comment continued.

Another viewer, pointing to the bizarre nature of Four Corner’s choice to continue attacking a former US president given other world events wrote, “I think the case of Afghanistan and Biden’s lack of responsibility is a greater crime.”

US President Donald Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence during election night. Picture: AFP

The taxpayer-funded national broadcaster conceded on its Facebook page that it had been forced to delete many comments for breaching their “terms of use”, causing one to comment, “Another great display of hypocrisy again from the ABC trying everything it can to push for the removal of conservative platforms. Pathetic. The publicly funded ABC should look inward before casting aspersions.”

The Four Corners program “Fox and the Big Lie”, which debuted Monday night, purported to claim that Fox News had allowed itself to be hijacked and used as a propaganda tool by Donald Trump.

However since the program aired it has been blasted by commenters pointing out its inaccuracies and omissions.