The ABC says it did not tell the whole truth about protest at Woodside boss’s house

The ABC has admitted public statements it made after a Four Corners crew attended a protest at the house of Woodside boss Meg O’Neill were not accurate after calls to explain its actions.

Woodside Energy chief executive Meg O'Neill.

The ABC has admitted that public statements indicating a Four Corners crew had no prior knowledge about a planned protest outside Woodside Energy chief executive Meg O’Neill’s private residence, which was met with wide condemnation, were wrong.

A Four Corners crew attended Ms O’Neill’s house about 6.45am on Tuesday, August 1, after being tipped off by Disrupt Burrup Hub activists that they would be staging a protest outside at the address.

The fact that the protest targeted Ms O’Neill’s Perth home was widely condemned by politicians at the state and federal level, as well as energy industry lobby group APPEA, with Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong also expressing their concerns.

Minister Rowland also said last week she had “sought further information from the ABC on this matter”, with questions raised about how the Four Corners crew came to be at Ms O’Neill’s address, and whether they knew of the planned protest beforehand.

The ABC initially refused to confirm it was a Four Corners crew, before admitting that it was, and saying further that the crew had no idea what was planned.

“Just prior to the action the team received a tip to go to an address, they had no knowledge what was at the address or that it was someone’s house,’’ a spokesman said at the time.

“They had no knowledge of what action was going to occur there.’’

At 4.30pm on Friday afternoon, in a lengthy statement, the ABC admitted that a review of the incident had revealed that this was not true.

“The review does indicate the team did have some awareness of what was planned,’’ the statement says.

“To that extent, the element of the previous statement issued by the ABC concerning knowledge of what specific actions might occur prior to the event did not reflect all relevant information subsequently available and was incorrect.

“We will be investigating how this inaccuracy arose further to ensure this does not happen again.’’

The ABC said it would now be “reviewing and if necessary, updating its editorial guidance about when mandatory upward referral is needed to appropriate senior management’’.

The review of the incident, the ABC says, does not indicate the Four Corners team crossed onto private property, and its actions were at all times as journalistic observers, not as participants.

“Based on the information reviewed, the proposed action by the protesters was in the planning prior to any contact with the ABC Four Corners team,’’ the statement says.

“The ABC’s team understood that it would be a nonviolent protest action, and they maintain that they did not have prior knowledge of the address for the protest until the relevant morning.

“It is understood the protesters intended to record themselves during the planned protest and then distribute their own footage to media after the protest.

“The ABC team maintains it did not collude with or encourage the protesters. The planned protest did not eventuate because the protesters were arrested by police who were already at the location on arrival.’’

Despite this a Sky News report last week showed the Four Corners crew filming while standing on the driveway of Ms O’Neill’s home.

Four people were arrested as a result of the incident.

A spokesman from Minister Rowland’s office said in a statement late on Friday: “All Australians deserve to feel safe at home – including public figures.

“The protesters in question are subject to legal proceedings.

“The ABC has publicly indicated it is conducting further investigations.

“While the ABC operates independently of government, it is not above scrutiny.”

Opposition communications spokesman David Coleman said there must be a Senate inquiry into the matter.

ABC now admits its earlier statement that it had no prior knowledge of the planned protest at the Woodside CEO's house was wrong. Labor must support the Coalition's call for a Senate inquiry into this whole affair.https://t.co/eSFdjgjoSP

— David Coleman MP (@DavidColemanMP) August 11, 2023

Woodside said in a statement on Friday: “We note the statement from ABC managing director David Anderson issued on Friday evening and are reviewing its contents’’.

Woodside previously said the protest was “an organised and deliberate act designed to intimidate Ms O’Neill and her family’’.

ABC Media Watch host Paul Barry defended the conduct of the Four Corners crew in a report on Monday.

“We believe the ABC was doing its job, reporting on matters of public interest,” he said.

“We don’t think it should apologise.

“And any attempt to cow the ABC or shut down its reporting would be an attack on media freedom.”