ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose regrets ‘serious editorial lapses’ in trans sport story

ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose said there were “serious editorial lapses” in an ABC story that was the subject of complaints for not including research that “trans women can retain physical advantages”.

ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose said she regrets “serious editorial lapses” in an ABC story that was the subject of complaints for not including research that “trans women can retain physical advantages”.

The ABC would be conducting a “thorough debrief” for all those involved in the story and the matter would be reported to the ABC board, Ms Buttrose revealed in a letter sent to Liberal senator Claire Chandler.

The online article in question was found to be “materially misleading” by an internal review which said it had breached the standards for impartiality.

The original story, published during the election campaign in April, was presented as an outline of the available science in the issue of whether trans women retain biological advantages over other women.

But following complaints and a review, it was corrected to include reference to more research, including a study showing transwomen in the US Air Force ran on average 12 per cent faster than biological women.

ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose wrote back to Senator Claire Chandler. Picture by Ryan Osland

Ms Chandler wrote to Ms Buttrose demanding an explanation for how the errors occurred, why the author had not sought the views of female athletes, and why editorial processes did not pick up the shortcomings.

“I suggest that this series of errors and breaches of standards could only have occurred in circumstances where the author set out to make a predetermined case, selected interviewees to support their own position and purposefully omitted relevant facts which demonstrate that there is substantial evidence that trans women retain performance advantages as a result of male puberty,” she wrote.

Transgender footballer Hannah Mouncey playing for the Darebin Falcons. Picture: Nicole Garmston

In response, Ms Buttrose has now replied in a letter to her, stating that “in conclusion, the editorial lapses in the original story are certainly regrettable.”

“These are indeed serious editorial lapses and have been treated as such by the ABC Sport team and those journalists responsible for producing the story.

“There has been a thorough debrief with all involved.”

Ms Buttrose said editorial standards do not require equal treatment or equal time in every story.

Tasmanian Liberal Senator Claire Chandler is fighting for women’s rights and was concerned about an ABC story. Picture: Peter Mathew

She also responded to a concern raised by the senator about whether the ABC’s “affiliations with lobby groups and participation in award programs influenced the framing” of the article.

Ms Buttrose said the ABC participates in the ACON-run Pride Inclusion program AWEI index but “they have no bearing on editorial processes”.

Kit Kowalski, behind ACON Exposed, says sex-based rights and spaces are being eroded in the workplace.

But blogger and IT specialist Kit Kowalski, who writes for the website ACON Exposed, says that ACON-approved training is now mandatory for all new ABC starters including journos and editors.

“The ABC has created a database of LGBTIQ staff members and established a practice where these staff members ‘correct’ content so that it conforms to ideological orthodoxy,” she said.

“The ABC has created internal awards for LGBTQI content that ‘changes the conversation’ and their 2022 AWEI submission boasts that the ABC tells LGBTIQ stories ‘the way they want it told’.

“It is clear from sources such as the Diversity & Inclusion Report that the ABC intends to promote LGBTQI content to audiences, and that they see the AWEI score as they key indicator of success.”