Update 2: The ABC’s Q and A gets in on the act. Is this the new culture at the ABC? It seems recycling NewsLtd framing by the ABC happens every single day. This makes the ABC a Mini NewsLtd. Is this really what we expect from our unbiased, impartial National Broadcaster?
https://twitter.com/geeksrulz/status/297953168535461888
Update 1: The Jon Faine story is growing bigger and has its own dedicated blog post here with updates.
When you see bias at our ABC, you first blame yourself. Everyone is biased of course. It is in the eye of the beholder. Then you see more evidence of bias, but the ABC has enough goodwill to pass that test too. Eventually though, you can rationalise it all you want but it doesn’t add up any more.
It started innocently enough with a small typo in the Prime Minister’s name *Juliar* Gillard. It happens to me all the time when I type “Julia”. Well actually no, I have never had that problem. It is not in my Google quick search, my auto correct or in any of my automatic word associations or impulses to write the word JULIAR.
So who at the ABC has this particular problem with spelling the word “Julia”? Someone does.
Another person who was able to get an immediate apology was Scott Morrison.
I think that it is a cynical manipulation of an underlying prejudice in the Australian community and that it has very little policy merit. It is fraught with problems and it is really awful actually and I think Scott Morrison in particular as a spokesman in this area has just pushed way beyond acceptability in a way that he is willing to pander and manipulate that level of prejudice in what is essentially a racist manner. He is my local member in the electorate for Cronulla, the scene of the Cronulla riots …
Andrew Bolt: Why isn’t Long more upset when boat people drown?
Long has a spooky ability to see into the heart of the Coalition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, and detect an evil impulse that – fortuitously – relieves him of any need to actually discuss the merit of Morrison’s argument that weak border laws are encouraging crooks, fake refugees, massive cost blowouts and hundreds of deaths at sea.
An ABC spokeswoman said Mr Morrison had made a formal complaint to ABC managing director Mark Scott, which was passed on to the audience and consumer affairs team as was normal practice. The decision to air an apology was taken by news management.
Steve Cannane said Mr Long’s comments were “clearly inappropriate”.
“While it is appropriate for ABC journalists to provide comment and analysis backed by demonstrable evidence, the remarks in question went beyond that, and were an expression of opinion,” “These opinions were not supported by evidence and were inappropriately expressed. “News management is discussing the matter directly with the reporter concerned.”
Of course I do not watch all shows on the ABC but I have not seen Stephen Long on The Drum or on his once regular Lateline spot. Has he been sent to the gulag in Whyalla for LNP re-education? While there, he might run into ABC’s Foreign Correspondent Eric Campbell.
The ABC apologises for a time-reference error on Friday’s Lateline interview with Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare.
Transcript
EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: Last Friday, during our interview with Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare about the asylum seeker rescue operation, I confused Australian time with Coordinated Universal Time.
I apologise for the error which underpinned a number of questions.
These days it seems like a rather harmless tweet, especially if you have ever interacted with LNP staffers or Menzies House trolls on the infamous #auspol hashtag.
And of course Mr Pyne has his own form when it comes to insulting people and the ABC did not apologise or stop free speech on this Lateline show.
Pyne says he is adamant the article didn’t bother him. ‘Not in the least bit,’ he says. ‘I don’t take these things personally . . . I assumed it was a spoof . . . there’s no point getting too fussed about it’.”
In a statement, a spokesman said Pyne, the Liberal MP for the South Australian seat of Sturt, hadn’t threatened to sue at the time the article was published, and noted that the ABC had taken the piece down, of it’s volition. Yet Pyne’s lawyers have sent two letters to the ABC about the piece.
Australians For Honest Politics 
All I can do is shake my head. How the mighty ABC has fallen. Bloodied and bowed by the conservatives. Eaten out from within.
I will believe the ABC is not bias against Labor when it captions a photo of Tony Abbott with his name spelled Tony Rabbott and then corrects it.
And doesn’t apologise.
The Liberal National Party should now call itself The Illiberal National Party. It’s more than appropriate due to its political philosophy of the past twenty years.
Incredible archive Geek. So sad, how the bully Lib-Murdoch papers partnership renders the ABC timid. In retrospect, I think that timidity is why The Drum reneged on its agreement to run my Abbott slush fund piece. It faces current (News Limited) and future (Abbott government) ball-crushing enemies.
PS: IMO the ABC would do better to hold its nerve and fearlessly fulfil its charter for reasons I set out at http://www.twitlonger.com/show/kp9al4
I believe the ABC is following FOX in America. They do the same, interrrupt and do not let interviewee answer the questions. Margo check this out. ABC is now the FOX in Australia. Maybe not going to get rid of ABC at all, but keeping as FOX of Australia. It is cheap as public are paying for ABC. Or maybe Murdoch is assisting as well.
[…] our ABC story went live on Tuesday, a new case of how ABC Management responds to the Political Right bullying has […]
shared on my page: https://www.facebook.com/TheAbbottoir
The right wing wreckers and greedy power brokers take everything that is good in a society and trash it. They are a threat to everyone and everything good, that countless people have striven and worked for.
They are third rate thugs and fascist trash.
That’s a truly damning collection of examples, and well put together.
I’d like to re-blog this with attribution (and link) on the Conscience Vote, please. Drop me a line to let me know if that’s okay.
Thanking you for your nice feedback. Feel free to re-blog.:)
I have posted the link on my blog, with an intro. It’s here: http://consciencevote.com.au/2013/02/05/reblog-the-geek-on-what-happened-to-our-abc/
[…] Geek asks, quite rightly, ‘What Happened to our ABC?’ That’s something I’d like to know, and I suspect I’m not alone in […]