ABC reporting on brumbies lacked accuracy, impartiality: ombudsman

The ABC has been rapped over the knuckles for inaccuracy and lack of impartiality in news reports about the aerial culling of feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park, but concerns over the reporter’s personal use of social media to campaign for brumbies remain unresolved.

The ABC Ombudsman upheld complaints, including one from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and one from the Invasive Species Council, that the public broadcaster had breached its editorial standards in its reporting on the issue in three news bulletins on April 8.

Feral horses near Long Plain in Kosciuszko National Park in October last year.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The reports by journalist Jamelle Wells included unsubstantiated claims from Nationals MP Wes Fang that the government’s estimate of between 12,797 and 21,760 wild horses in the park was wrong, and it was only “at or below 3000”.

The news reports also claimed horses were being shot up to 18 times, injured horses could take days to die and there had been orphaned foals discovered in the park.

The aerial shooting of feral horses, also known as brumbies, in Kosciuszko National Park is a contentious political issue, opposed by the Nationals, Animal Justice Party, brumby advocates and some media commentators, including 2GB host Ray Hadley.

From November 24, 2021 to May 31 this year, the NSW government has removed more 8,840 wild horses from the park to protect the region’s sensitive alpine environment, more than in the previous 21 years cumulatively. The government has also suspended its rehoming program pending an external investigation into claims some were being diverted to an allegedly illegal knackery in Wagga Wagga.

“The reporting … breached the corporation’s editorial standards for impartiality.”

ABC Ombudsman

The ombudsman criticised ABC Radio for “failing to make reasonable efforts, in the circumstances, to ensure the material facts were accurately presented in context, by failing to include the range of relevant, publicly available information on the issue or to seek a counter perspective to that of Mr Fang”.

“By excluding other relevant publicly available expert information on this contentious issue that would have countered the claims made in the broadcasts, the reporting had the effect of unduly favouring one perspective over another and breached the corporation’s editorial standards for impartiality.”

The ombudsman noted the government had previously provided parliament with ample expert information and context on the animal welfare outcomes of the aerial cull, and there were also public submissions from external organisations, including RSPCA NSW and the Australian Veterinary Association supporting the cull.

The ABC published a correction on Thursday, after the ombudsman’s ruling, acknowledging the reports were published without seeking comment from the National Parks and Wildlife Service or acknowledging the agency’s evidence to parliament.

The NSW government declined to comment on the outcome of its complaint.

Jack Gough, advocacy director at the Invasive Species Council, said it was disappointing the complaint took two months to resolve but welcomed the “clear and scathing ruling from the independent ABC Ombudsman”.

The ombudsman did not rule on the reporter’s personal use of social media, saying this was a workplace matter to be dealt with by ABC management.

The Invasive Species Council complaint included extensive evidence that Wells was actively assisting a campaign to stop aerial shooting of feral horses, including through regular posts on social media, advising the campaign on media strategy, encouraging them to seek donations for a PR firm and assisting them to find a PR firm.

ABC MediaWatch ran a segment on Wells on April 15, with host Paul Barry saying: “We understand that killing these horses is an emotive issue that upsets some people greatly, but we can’t understand why an ABC journalist would compromise the ABC’s independence by publicly involving themselves in such a campaign.”

Gough said the issue of “journalistic bias and misconduct” was unresolved. He said the ABC had advised the Senate last week there was an ongoing investigation that was yet to finalised because the journalist was on personal leave.

The ABC declined to comment.

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