How Michelle Guthrie tried to defend ABC journalists from Justin Milne

ABC chairman Justin Milne told his board to reverse Triple J’s decision to change the date of its Hottest 100 countdown away from Australia Day.

**FILE** A Friday, February 9, 2018 image reissued Monday, September 24, 2018 of former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie (right) and ABC Chairman Justin Milne during the ABC Annual Public Meeting in Ultimo, Sydney. ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie has been sacked effective immediately because it was "not in the best interests" of the broadcaster for her to stay in the job. Board chairman Justin Milne said the transition to a new leader could be disruptive but discussions had been under way for several months. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett) NO ARCHIVING

ABC chairman Justin Milne attempted to persuade the board that it should reverse youth radio station Triple J’s move to change its Hottest 100 countdown date away from Australia Day, telling them it would trigger negative reaction from the government.

Mr Milne’s move was one of a series of flashpoints that arose between himself and sacked ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie.

Late last year Triple J announced it would move the Hottest 100 from Australia Day to a nearby weekend, after complaints from listeners and a debate about the day’s indigenous meaning.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield complained and urged the public broadcaster’s board to intervene, claiming the ABC was making a “political statement”.

Ms Guthrie resisted Mr Milne’s requests that the decision be changed.

“ [Prime Minister] Malcolm [Turnbull] will go ballistic”, Mr Milne said, according to sources.

Ms Guthrie also defended ABC journalists Andrew Probyn and Emma Alberici from attacks made by Mr Milne.

Mr Milne, who sacked Ms Guthrie on Monday, wanted his former managing director to sack chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici and discipline political editor Andrew Probyn, according to sources familiar with the situation.

But Ms Guthrie “stared down” her chairman on a range of matters that had prompted complaints from the government, according to a source.

These included Alberici’s articles about corporate tax, that were rewritten and edited over errors of fact and omission and impartiality concerns.

Instead Ms Guthrie defended ABC staff several times on the grounds of free speech and editorial independence, according to sources familiar with the matter.

After ABC political editor Andrew Probyn characterised former prime minister Tony Abbott as “the most destructive politician of his generation”.

Ms Guthrie refused to buckle to pressure from Mr Milne over the issue and spoke up of the need to be supportive of ABC talent, editorial independence and free speech.

Mr Turnbull’s principal private secretary, Sally Cray, a former ABC media manager, contacted ABC executives to tell them that Probyn was “out of control”.

Broadcast regulator ACMA, which received multiple complaints, later ruled the controversial report breached impartiality standards, but Ms Guthrie refused to issue a public apology.

The ABC and ABC board has been contacted for comment.

The ABC Act tasks the board with maintaining “the independence and integrity” of the corporation and the ABC has legislated editorial independence. It has an internal complaints channels and ACMA has some oversight.

ABC editorial policies contain requirements for accuracy, impartiality and independence.

When Mr Milne sacked Ms Guthrie on Monday, he made reference to her management “style” and said relations with Canberra needed to be improved.

When comedy program Tonightly called a conservative political candidate a “c***t” in March. Mr Milne demanded a formal ABC apology from the ABC.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield made a complaint to Australian Communications and Media Authority after Australian Conservatives candidate Batman byelection candidate Kevin Bailey was attacked for refusing to appear in an interview.

But ACMA ruled the program did not breach the harm and offence provisions of the ABC Code of Practice. ABC head of television David Anderson rang Mr Bailey to apologise, and the program was later cancelled.

Mr Milne emailed Ms Guthrie about Alberici on May 8, an email later circulated to board members in the week before the managing director was fired.

“They [the government] hate her,” Mr Milne said in the email, according to a report in Fairfax Media.

“We are tarred with her brush. I think it’s simple. Get rid of her. We need to save the ABC - not Emma. There is no guarantee they [the Coalition] will lose the next election.”

An ABC board spokesman told Fairfax: “The board was united in its disappointment at the need to correct content in the [Alberici] article. The board takes seriously its responsibility, as legislated in the ABC Act, to ensure that editorial output is accurate.”

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s office had sent the ABC a 1000-word complaint claiming Alberici’s coverage of corporate tax cuts in a report in February contained numerous errors, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield also complained.

In February at a Senate Estimates hearing Ms Guthrie refused to detail editorial processes around the articles and failed to publicly condemn Alberici, although she declined to directly answer a question as to whether she retained confidence in her chief economics reporter.

But in April Ms Guthrie said: “I retain confidence in all of our quality journalists, including Emma Alberici.”

Today Emma Alberici told ABC radio she found the revelations of Mr Milne’s interference disturbing as he was chairman of MYOB, one of the companies she reported as paying no tax.

“The job of the ABC Board is to independently govern the Corporation, protect its best interests, ensure that it is well funded, well managed and that our content is of the highest standards. That is precisely what the Board has done and will continue to do. I do not propose to provide a running commentary on day to day issues which arise in pursuit of our duties,’’ Mr Milne said in a statement today.