‘Raises questions’: Media Watch pins ABC over partnership with LGBT group Acon

ABC reporters have responded to a recent Media Watch segment taking aim at the national broadcaster over its partnership with an LGBT group.

ABC reporters have responded to a recent Media Watch segment taking aim at the national broadcaster over its partnership with an LGBT activist group.

Media Watch host Paul Barry said a partnership with Acon – a community-based organisation focusing on health and inclusion issues for LGBT Australians – could lead to “perceptions of bias in coverage, or bias itself”.

Barry argued the workplace equality index “raises questions about ABC impartiality” – despite the corporation insisting that “participation in benchmarking indexes has no bearing on content commissioning processes and no influence on editorial content”.

“The problem here is a media group partnering with and being rewarded by a lobby group – any lobby group,” Barry said. “And how that can lead to perceptions of bias in coverage or to bias itself.”

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Media Watch host Paul Barry said a partnership between the ABC and LGBT activist group Acon could lead to ‘perceptions of bias in coverage, or bias itself’.

Media Watch used emails obtained under FOI by an anti-trans group as evidence.

Barry also said an email from “Acon’s ABC relationship manager offered editorial tips, including adding a help number, to boost the ABC’s Australian Workplace Equality Index score” as evidence of bias coming as a direct result of the partnership.

“And emails from 2020 – obtained under FOI – show an ABC journalist seeking and receiving advice from Acon on the correct definition of the word family,” he continued.

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

The Daily Telegraph reported Buttrose said 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.

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

“The problem here is a media group partnering with and being rewarded by a lobby group — any lobby group.

And how that can lead to perceptions of bias in coverage or to bias itself.”#MediaWatchpic.twitter.com/tAiXgYcfRC

— Media Watch (@ABCmediawatch) October 17, 2022

The ABC participates in Acon’s Australian Workplace Equality Index, which measures the impact of inclusion initiatives in organisations. In an annual report, the ABC boasted about winning three inclusion awards and “retained the coveted title of Gold Employer for the second consecutive year”.

RN Breakfast host Patricia Karvelas responded to the controversy earlier this week, equating Acon’s equality index to other benchmarking indexes.

She questioned why this particular partnership was attracting such scrutiny.

The ABC also participates in other benchmarking indexes to monitor its progress and improve workplace practices, such as those run by the Diversity Council of Australia, Reconciliation Australia and the Australian Network on Disability.
but only scrutiny of one group. https://t.co/5FTjijqdOE

— Patricia Karvelas (@PatsKarvelas) October 18, 2022

ABC Technology reporter Ariel Bogle also responded, suggesting that opinions critical of the transgender movement are “often intertwined with far-right entities and narratives”.

Even considering the fact the national broadcaster could be being influenced by a private organisation, Bogle said reporting of voices opposing Acon’s ideology “without providing context” fails to give audiences “the complete picture”.

Coverage of anti-trans voices and talking points without providing context -- such as how these framings often flow from and are intertwined with far-right entities and narratives, even leading to acts of violence in the US and UK -- fails to give audiences the complete picture.

— Ariel Bogle (@arielbogle) October 17, 2022

Acon CEO Nicolas Parkhill has denied the organisation plays any role in editorial decisions at the national broadcaster.

“We have not, and do not, provide any advice or guidance whatsoever on any editorial matters at the ABC, including on direction, coverage, policy, language or style or anything else related to the ABC‘s editorial process,” he told Media Watch.

The full statement from the ABC

The ABC participates in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) which forms part of the ACON Health Limited (ACON) – Pride Inclusion Program. The AWEI is a national employee benchmarking index; 186 employers across all sectors participated in the index in 2021. It measures the impact of inclusion initiatives in organisations and is used by the ABC to monitor progress and help improve workplace practices.

The ABC also participates in other benchmarking indexes to monitor its progress and improve workplace practices, such as those run by the Diversity Council of Australia, Reconciliation Australia and the Australian Network on Disability.

Participation in benchmarking indexes has no bearing on content commissioning processes and no influence on editorial content.

ABC Editorial Policies require all journalists and content makers to:

Maintain the independence and integrity of the ABC;

Exercise ABC editorial control over the content the ABC broadcasts or publishes;

Ensure that editorial decisions are not improperly influenced by political, sectional, commercial or personal interests.

The ABC has rigorous and independent pre- and post-publication processes to reinforce these standards.

Transgender and gender identity issues are complex and require careful editorial judgement to ensure informed reporting without causing offence or undue distress and harm to vulnerable individuals and communities.

Like other responsible media, the ABC endeavours to ensure its reporting is based on credible research, talking to people with lived experience, peak bodies and qualified experts and taking an evidence-based approach.

ABC journalists and content teams will continue to report on these matters from all relevant perspectives and the AWEI index will have no bearing on their editorial decision making.