ABC’s Israel-Hamas coverage drew thousands of complaints, managing director David Anderson reveals

The public broadcaster has been inundated with complaints over the coverage of the war and a majority of grievances have been about claims of bias.

The ABC’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war has prompted widespread outrage among its audience, with more than 3000 complaints received by the public broadcaster since the conflict began four months ago.

Appearing before a Senate Estimates hearing on Tuesday, ABC managing director David Henderson defended the public broadcaster’s editorial standards after it was revealed that the media organisation has been deluged with negative feedback over its coverage of the war.

ABC editorial director Gavin Fang said the majority of the audience’s grievances were about bias.

“About 58 per cent of those (3000-plus) complaints have been largely about impartiality and bias … those complaints have alleged that we have been pro-Israeli or anti-Palestinian and about 41 to 42 per cent have been running the other way,” Mr Fang told the hearing.

“This is a really complex story, a very fast moving story so we are always trying to meet our editorial policies and our standing.

“We’re always looking to update stories and fix stores … where we don’t come up to the mark straight away.”

Mr Anderson said: “Impartiality and objectivity are foundational to the ABC and it’s important that we maintain our ability to perform that job,” he said.

The ABC boss was quizzed on the controversial sacking in December of fill-in casual radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf, after she posted contentious material on social media relating to the war.

ABC managing director David Anderson will meet staff over their grievances on the ­taxpayer-funded broadcaster’s sacking of fill-in radio host Antoinette Lattouf.

Lattouf has an ongoing unfair dismissal case against the ABC, and Mr Anderson said his legal advice was that he couldn’t answer questions on the subject until the matter in the Fair Work Commission has concluded.

In a heated exchange, Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi accused Mr Anderson of “hiding away”.

“Frankly I don’t care what legal advice you have,” she said.

Despite Senator Faruqi’s protestations, Mr Anderson claimed public interest immunity from discussing the matter before the Senate.

Later in the hearing, Senator Faruqi asked Mr Anderson if he had failed to address a culture of racism within the public broadcaster during his five-year tenure.

Referencing the recent departures from the ABC of the likes of journalists Stan Grant, Nour Haydar, Lattouf and comedian/presenter Sami Shah, Senator Faruqi queried why “people of colour” who work at the public broadcaster were not supported by the media organisation’s management.

“Will you be remembered as the managing director of the ABC … who allowed racism to flourish at the ABC?” she asked Mr Anderson.

“No. But we are not without problems, and not without the need to improve,” he said.

Mr Anderson admitted that he public broadcaster does not monitor the use of social media by staff, despite the litany of problems that journalists’ off-platform behaviour has caused ABC management in recent years.

“We’re not wasting energy looking at people’s personal use of social media,” he said.

“We don’t take responsibility for it … So under our code of conduct, which is not an editorial matter, it’s an employment matter.”

He said there were “obligations” on employees “not to bring the ABC into disrepute, or undermine their ability to do their job”, and added he had confidence employees understood their obligations.

“Doesn’t mean they are happy about it,” he added.

The ABC boss was also grilled about the secrecy surrounding his five-year reappointment last May, with Liberal senator Sarah Henderson asking why it wasn’t publicly announced until three months later.

“It’s a question for the board, Senator, as to when the board wanted to make an announcement,” Mr Anderson said.

“I know what was put to me, for stability for the organisation of a five-year plan, they wanted me to be there for the five year plan.”

Mr Anderson told the Senate hearing his remuneration is about $1 million per year.