ABC should punish, not reward, pricey social media blunders: MPs

There are calls for the national broadcaster to adopt stricter standards after nearly $200,000 was paid out on behalf of Four Corners’ Louise Milligan.

Federal MPs are demanding the ABC revise its social media code of conduct to include real consequences, including termination, if journalists bring the national broadcaster into disrepute.

The call comes after it was revealed ABC managing director David Anderson authorised the payment of at least $184,000 to cover the legal fees and defamation costs incurred by Four Corners reporter Louise Milligan over tweets made on her personal Twitter account about Coalition MP Andrew Laming.

“What I’m striving for is to see that people are professional at work, professional on social media, and they’re not weighing into partisanship because for an organisation that receives a billion dollars a year in taxpayer funds, the least the taxpayers can expect is the people will be impartial,” NSW Liberal senator Andrew Bragg said.

ABC reporter Louise Milligan was sued over tweets on her personal Twitter account. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Pointing to social media guidance issued by the BBC last year, which calls for ­impartiality and could see journalists fired for egregious violations, Mr Bragg said.

“What I would like to see is a suite of options that are available to ABC ­management – in the most egregious cases, ­termination should definitely be occurring.”

Mr Bragg’s comments were revealed in the latest episode of the Institute for Public Affairs’ documentary podcast, Their ABC. “I don’t expect ABC journalists to take a vow of political chastity – they are entitled to their private political opinions and beliefs, just as all Australians are,” Wentworth MP Dave Sharma said.

But he said ABC journalists who reveal their biases “undermine the reputation of an ­organisation they profess to love and be proud to work for”.