ABC staff climate crisis group won’t happen, says chairwoman Ita Buttrose

Ita Buttrose has ruled out the creation of a staff climate crisis advisory group.

ABC chair Ita Buttrose says the ABC staff climate crisis group. Picture: AAP

ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose has ruled out the creation of a staff climate crisis advisory group to report on climate change.

Ms Buttrose, who accused the ABC of bias a few months after her appointment in February, told ABC radio in Adelaide that “it was one of those ideas that is not going to happen.”

Asked by ABC radio presenter David Bevan why the idea won’t get-up, she replied: “Because the ABC leadership team and managing director (David Anderson) have thought otherwise”.

The comments come after The Australian reported on Monday that senior ABC staff were planning to form an “ABC-Staff climate crisis advisory group”, aimed at reporting on climate change using “solutions journalism”. The advisory group could have breached ABC editorial guidelines, and spark a feud with management.

READ MORE: ABC staff push for climate group

The ABC has been at the centre of controversy, most recently over its story about the horse racing industry, as well as its handling of a recent controversial Q&A episode, which has called into question its editorial policies and statutory duties.

After an 11 month investigation, the ABC announced on Monday it would pay-out about $23 million to up 2,500 staff that were underpaid over a six-year period from next month.

Melbourne-based ABC producer and presenter Barbara Heggen wrote to colleagues over the weekend to “gauge interest in forming an ABC-Staff climate crisis advisory group.”

In a group email, Ms Heggen said the aim would be “to gather together the brains trust of ABC staffer to develop ways to report on and inform Australians about the climate crisis using a solutions journalism approach” … “To report back to ABC management our idea and strategies for responding to the climate crisis both internally and externally”.

The idea was well received by some senior ABC journalists, including ABC Melbourne journalist and Walkley foundation director Karen Percy, who described it as “a fabulous idea”.

Dominique Schwartz, national rural and regional correspondent, wrote back comparing the ABC’s coverage with the New York Times. “I’m keen. I have just been looking into how other media organisations are dealing with coverage of climate change. The New York Times has a desk dedicated to climate change coverage with NY-based reporters and an editor who liaises with reporters across the paper.”

Business journalist Stephen Long said he was “keen to discuss this” but “you should be aware also that EdPols (editorial policy) is having a look at this issue”, while senior journalist Linda Mottram said it was a “great idea”.