Media watchdog to take close look at ABC

THE journalistic practices of the ABC’s Media Watch and its host Paul Barry will be investigated by the ACMA.

THE journalistic practices of the ABC’s Media Watch and its host Paul Barry will be investigated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

ACMA has launched an investigation into the program’s compliance with the ABC code of practice, in relation to its ­selective editing of a video interview with The Australian’s editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell and its failure to seek comment from the newspaper before broadcasting inaccurate claims about its ­finances.

As the watchdog announced the investigation yesterday, the ABC launched a site for corrections and clarifications on ABC content across radio, television and digital platforms.

The move followed criticism that the ABC routinely failed to apologise for its mistakes, from inaccurate allegations that Australian navy personnel had deliberately burned the hands of asylum-seekers intercepted at sea to an offensive portrayal of The Australian’s columnist Chris Kenny by the Chaser team.

Mitchell welcomed the ACMA investigation and said it was imperative Media Watch upheld high standards of journalism. The authority will investigate Barry’s editing of a video interview with Mitchell where his quote was cut, distorting its context and meaning.

The edit made it seem like Mitchell was supporting Barry’s claim about The Australian’s ­finances, when, in fact he went on to say the claim was incorrect.

“This omission, in breach of the code of practice, significantly and materially misled the ABC audience,’’ The Australian’s complaint to ACMA stated.

“While Mr Mitchell agreed the paper was not profitable he immediately qualified that statement by saying ‘the idea that we are losing $50 million is ridiculous’ and further that losses were a ‘fraction of the number that Paul Barry quoted’.”

ACMA will also deal with Media Watch’s original inaccurate claim that The Australian was losing $40m-$50m a year — and why this claim was not put to Mitchell, the editor, finance manager or chief executive of The Australian or anyone at News Corp before the broadcast.

ABC spokesman Michael Millett would not reveal whether managing director Mark Scott had read the Australian’s ACMA complaint, saying only that Mr Scott was “aware” of it.