By Calum Jaspan
The ABC is bracing for details of the long-awaited Janke review into racism at the broadcaster, set to be published on Tuesday.
Before the release of the findings, Dr Terri Janke’s review team has enlisted independent psychological support for ABC staff to help them cope with the report.
The review has taken almost 12 months to put together. Credit: Paul Jeffers
ABC boss David Anderson appointed Janke, a Wuthathi, Yadhaighana and Meriam woman and a lawyer, to lead the review, which was commissioned soon after the Voice referendum and was sparked by the treatment of veteran broadcaster Stan Grant, who has since left the broadcaster.
The review’s publication marks almost 12 months of work and examines staff experiences of racism at the broadcaster and the adequacy of systems and processes to support those who have experienced it.
Participants in the review were contacted this week and offered three sessions per person with specialists Psychs for Journalists, funded by the ABC, according to correspondence seen by this masthead. Staff were told they could use the sessions before or after the report’s release.
The ABC is also organising extra support options for staff.
The ABC declined to comment.
Grant spoke of his “bitter experience” with racism at the ABC upon his departure in 2023, which included claims the ABC had not done enough to defend him against “smears”.
“They have known about this problem forever,” Grant said at the time. “Just months ago ... I warned the head of news, Justin Stevens, that the ABC was a culturally hostile environment for First Nations and people of colour. But we hear all the talk of ‘care’ and ‘concern’ and no action.”
On Thursday, the ABC appointed former journalist and media executive Alan Sunderland to lead an independent review into two stories published in 2022 about former commando Heston Russell with incorrect audio that went to air.
Lawyer Dr Terri Janke led the review team.
The “Line of Fire” review will include all aspects of the reports broadcast on 7.30 in September 2022 and published online. The ABC said the review findings, including the recommendations, will be made public. It is set to be delivered by the end of October.
The review was commissioned by Anderson last week after an episode of Seven’s Spotlight program aired footage from an ABC report showing audio of gunfire had been added over existing footage.
Russell successfully sued the ABC for defamation after it alleged he was involved in the unlawful killing of an Afghan soldier, and was awarded $390,000 in damages last year.
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