A couple of surprising developments emerged from the ABC yesterday, making The Politics wonder if all is well at the national broadcaster.
We also wonder if the Albanese government shouldn’t take this singular moment in history to seriously ramp up the ABC so it can fully perform its role as a guardian of democracy amid a crumbling media landscape.
Four and against
Last night, Four Corners turned its gaze to the fallout of the May 3 election and its impact on the Coalition parties. These are the moments where the ABC’s investigative flagship has traditionally proved its worth, getting behind a story of profound national importance. This time, not so much.
Those with long memories will recall former Four Corners’ reporter Marian Wilkinson’s revelations of the behind-the-scenes scheming which led to a coup against then Liberal leader John Howard in 1989. When it comes to the genre of unguarded political confessions, Wilkinson’s work set the benchmark.
Now, after more than three decades, it’s exponentially more difficult to have insiders spill the beans, especially while the party remains consumed by internal bloodletting. Media-savvy politicians are too wise to the risks — to themselves and/or the party.
Don’t blame me …
Last night’s program offered a handful of politicians giving their version of what went wrong, blaming everything from campaign HQ (again), to allegedly useless pollsters (again), to late release of policies (again), to a needless focus on culture wars (again).
What is remarkable is what was not covered. Donald Trump and his tariff assault on Australia or his profound impact on Peter Dutton’s campaign didn’t get a mention, notwithstanding that the election was uniquely influenced by the US president, Dutton being painted as Trump-lite. Nor did it name the Murdoch media and their crucial role as the incubator of the Liberals’ far-right culture. The key role played by former PM Tony Abbott and his political confidante Peta Credlin in shaping the current party also went unexamined, even though Liberals consider their actions have left the Liberal Party a “smoking ruin”. Thus the program did not illuminate the causes of the Liberal Party’s shocking — and possibly terminal — decline.
The Politics doesn’t insist that all media come to the same conclusions as we do, but it seems fair to ask how you can possibly cover the 2025 election and ignore the influence of Trump and the Murdoch stable. Mind you, each to their own judgment.
Marks, get set, go
Our second surprise of the day was to see news of the ABC’s recently installed managing director, Hugh Marks, bobbing up at a well-lubricated News Corp function. Amid raucous scenes at a Sydney pub, Marks was shoulder to shoulder with the very Murdoch news executives who’ve been waging war on the ABC for years.
Walking into the lion’s den. Crossing enemy lines. Marks may have had his reasons for attending but it risks sending a confusing message to staff who are regularly flayed by the Murdochs. Unfortunately Marks has form with getting it wrong. He also blurred lines as CEO of the Nine when he allowed the Liberal Party to use the network’s studios for a $10,000 a head fundraiser in 2019. He admitted a few days later that it was a mistake and it “could have been handled better”.
Imperfect timing
Marks’ ill-advised pub appearance (our view) comes too early in his reign. It is also a regrettable juxtaposition to ABC chair Kim Williams and his curious interventions on behalf of the comedian once known as Austen Tayshus, as revealed by Media Watch last month.
This brings us to the question of the ABC’s future under the newly powered-up Albanese government, which can realistically expect at least two more terms. (Or maybe it will never leave, given the aforementioned risk of the Coalition disappearing up its own fundamental.) As governments like to remind us, we live in a dangerous world surrounded by new threats. Within this menacing universe, the US is the perfect example of what happens in a country which has no public broadcaster and where misinformation and a war on truth are rampant.
Company manners
The ABC has been through government-induced trauma for well over a decade. There have been constant funding cuts; unreasonable attacks from politicians on the make with the Murdochs. At the same time it has had to cater to an ever-expanding array of digital platforms, a demand to do more with less which has left it threadbare. Is it a surprise if it fails occasionally to meet the mark? We can be certain that it is not for want of trying.
The Politics believes the Albanese government should use its powerful position and restore significant funding to the ABC and assign it an essential role in maintaining the health of Australian democracy.
And the ABC’s most senior executives should take care of the company they keep if they want to be taken seriously.
Laura tingle seems to have been sidelined in favour of the two lightweights karvelas and Crabbe.
To be honest, it was more of a Jane Norman production than four corners.
It was a sad flub of what could and should have been.
Thankfully no Jane Hume or James Paterson.. However, the superficiality of interrogation left out key factors: more climate denialism, the self-serving weaponising of antisemitism by a clearly racist party, the startling lack of vision or any intellectually significant arguments, an interminable mix of crude entitlement plus equally crude belligerent attacks on a smoothly-functioning government? This was never going to be a “winning strategy”. It was all from the Sky operators who interest no one but themselves.
Ley nails it when she says Liberals must modernise. Oh, but what a task.
As for the ABC… only another month until Laura is gone. And please, let her replacement be someone smart, informed & impervious to propaganda.
Down here in Goldstein, the weaponising of Jewish angst was THE story. I hope that one day the truth of it will be told.
Agree. Tim Wilson 120% played the “I’m a True Zionist” card with his ad on the front page of The Jewish Weekly newspaper. As well as sending Postal Vote forms across the electorate which contained Reply Paid envelopes not addressed to the authentic AEC POBox, but to a Liberal Party data harvesting address in Clayton. Postal votes mainly went TW way largely as a result of that 2 acts above. The. There were the other dirty tricks…
Australia had the government it deserved with the liberals.
Men dominated and women allowed it to happen. Ley is only the leader while Liberal is down and out. Prove that true change is happening
What is not generally understood is the role religion plays in the Liberal Party where men believe they are superior to women.
Totally agree. Very poor interviewers. Weak as dishwater. Actually quite pathetic. Very very disappointing What happened to Laura Tingle Why did the ABC use these lightweight journalist Oh for the likes of Adam’s Cassidy. I weep for my dead ABC
You mean Hopalong Cassidy?
La Tingle is soon to move to global affairs editor replacing John Lyons
ABC’s Media Watch is the program that most consistently does fearless journalism. It probably benefits from having a few extra firewalls that protect it from management as it often criticises the ABC itself.
Last night’s episode reported on the consequences of the Trump administration cutting funding to the Voice of America. This is another space where the ABC, and Australia as a whole, would benefit if the government boosted funds for international broadcasting and reporting to fill at least some of the vacuum created by the shut down of VoA.
This is an excellent observation & now that LaTingle has left for Global Affairs, Media Watch is the only thing I can watch on the ABC.
I too, weep for what was.
My comment to my husband, ” the only way to make this 4 corners episode worse would have been have it done by Annabel Crabb”
I totally agree. Karvelis is a total lightweight along with 7.30 Report’s host. If only we could have Kerry back!
Shaun, if the ABC has sidelined this intelligent, credentialed, human being. Shame on them, but that is what we ABC devotees have expected for a long time. The ABC board is made up of Liberal acolytes They don’t care about the ABC that you and I grew up with. And I would suggest they also grew up with all these wonderful kid programs.
Add the Murdoch media to thatand you have it in a nut case.
I found the whole thing boring and I had heard it all before, much of it in the lead up to the episode last night. Choosing Karvelas for this programme was a big negative as she is not an investigative reporter.
Nothing will change at the abc while they choose lightweights for management. Not optimistic that the govt will increase their funding either
I agree with your thoughts on the demise of the Liberal Party at this election which was left out-the Tony Abbot, Peter Credlin and Murdoch News-the elephants in the room.
Couldn’t agree more. The ABC is fundamental to our nation and its democracy . It should be properly funded to do its job.
Yes it should, indeed it must. Labor have the opportunity to properly fund the ABC for all Australians who want a dose of discerning and reliable and truthful reporting.
Barry Cassidy had guts to ask the hard questions.
Now all the interviewers are terrified of losing their jobs if those being interviewed are offended.
Everyone thought Mind and Mouth Control would not eventuate and yet here it is. Playing Nice is ludicrous.
I agree. ABC analysis gets weaker and weaker. Coverage of the dilemma facing Liberal Party, both in terms of what those values of competitive individualism and aspiration actually mean when everyone is screaming out for community solidarity and care and worried about galloping wealth inequality. Meanwhile Sarah Ferguson’s interview with Patrick Dodson failed to explore the issue of the value of Indigenous knowledge and values, and its fundamental difference with the consumerist individualism of ‘modern’ Australia. And as for the morning news. This entertaining magazine approach is just so painful, it’s embarassing.
Get rid of all the ex-Murdoch hacks from ABC & things will look up.
Thanks Elizabeth, the Murdochracy is the thorn in the Aust Media honesty & intelligence. Good suggestion, all Murdoch hacks gone. What a wonderful world we would have.
As I recall, the review into the 2022 loss delicately avoided any recommendation for policy change. Ley already has some Nationals and Andrew Hastie (as per last night’s program) wanting to jettison the 2050 target. Looks like a cross between Titanic and Mutiny the Bounty as possible plot lines.
Insane that another media organisation needs to send the message to the Labor govt and the ABC about more and secure, longer term funding, and in the context of questioning weird management decisions. Then there’s questionable editorial decisions about the influence of external actors on content, especially on the war on Gaza. I cry for my ABC
A very unexciting Four Corners. I switched it off half way when I realised the same blame filled comments were being repeated. No comment about the Jacinta effect either. Please hold on ABC. We need you.
I bailed half way through too.
The omission of any mention of Jacinta surprised me too. She is such a divisive personality in the political realm that her presence cannot be ignored. This week’s Four Corners barely scratched the surface of the Liberal crushing. ABC, you can do better.
To be honest I fell asleep watching it. I usually find 4 corners riveting, can’t turn away television. I was thinking I was just tired and that I should rewatch it on iView but now I think I won’t bother
I’m with you Mark. PK is a nice enough (gotcha) person, however she ain’t no Cassidy or Tingle or O’Brien. Same for Sarah Ferguson – too gotcha for me. ABC you really are getting a bit ordinary. Last night was underwhelming. So, like Mark, I wanted to be intrigued but found myself falling asleep.
I agree Tingle has been sidelined. This was evident even on election night when Tingle struggled to be noticed on the panel. I personally think Tingle never made the transition from print to small screen comfortably. Her television work is frequently stilted, awkward to watch and a peppered with a significant degree of cynicism toward certain political players and parties. It is good she is moving out of the senior political reporting role for
something else.
I get your point. I naturally prefer non commercial TV, radio, and online because I try to avoid being brainwashed/greenwashed by commercial advertising. However, I have to vary my diet because the ABC appears to lost a lot of its hard hitting news and current affairs over recent years. Some Four Corners and Media Watch, for example, can come up with some hard hitting reports, but, I hardly bother with ABC News Channel preferring to chase more probing or interesting stuff from a varied diet eg NITV, Kiev Independent, New York Times, Guardian, Saturday Paper, The Monthly, The Shovel, conservation and activist groups, some community radio, even The Age online and of course now The Politics online. Diversity is the key presumably.
Pearls and Irritations and Independent Australia
If the government of the day keeps hiring questionable ex Murdoch hacks,you could be forgiven for thinking the intention is to screw the ABC.So far, it seems to be working.I only caught the last few minutes of last night’s 4 Corners,unintentionally,and what did I see? Far too much of that arsehole Wilson,barely able to keep his self regard in his trousers.If the Coalition think they’ve got problems now,they ain’t seen nothing yet.
I don’t think Albanese is about to do anything that doesn’t suit his blinkered,1960’s view of politics.I expect the new Environment minister to kick off proceedings by signing off on Woodside’s planet killing gas project in W.A.
Happy days Roger. I hope I’m wrong.
I agree 100%. I’ve seen and experienced the ABC being decimated by failed ex-commercial managers. The place is being turned into another soft cocked broadcaster.
Get your balls back ABC. Remember the unbiased place you used to be.
Maybe they should employ a Urologist.
At this rate, an undertaker might be more relevant
It’s a done deal,Watt has confirmed the grip of the fossil fuel wallahs.Who knew?
The main difference between Labor and the other jerks is Labor has more seats to continue the destruction of the planet.Fuck Labor and their hypocritical, gutless members.
After The Saturday Paper’s blockbuster last weekend on how Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin continue to control the Liberal Party like a demonic possession, last night’s Four Corners was as predictable as it was shallow. How or why Karvelas was given that assignment is the first question that needs to be posed as to why such an important story fell flat so badly.
I started to watch the 4 corners show than stopped. Nothing I hadn’t heard many times before it was bland and the some old same old.
Did anyone say one of the main problems was that most punters thought Dutton a creep, no matter polices or ideas new or old.
As it is said the fish rots from the head.
A creep? Abslutely. There is no way I could ever have thought of voting for him after his disgusting and cringe-worthy performance in the Immigratin and health jobs.
And please make the ABC funding adequate again – we need them “as of old” more nowthan ever before in this age of Trump(ism)
Great article David and I agree the 4 corners report was superficial and had nothing new. Also agree not examining trump and role of Murdoch press an oversight. I miss Barrie Cassidy and Kerry o’Brien. Keep up the good work!!
Barrie Cassidy now does a podcast every Saturday at 9am via The Guardian called BackToBackBarries I enjoy. Far too short at 30 minutes though. (The other Barry is John Barry ex Liberal strategist (?) a Director of Redbridge polling.)
Could the ABC PLEASE have a return of The Drum or similar rather than the idiotic program now at 6pm on weekdays. PLEASE
YES PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
I would definitely vote for that. The Drum returns! Yes please.
Yes and yes again.
Oh NO! Not that self-righteous inane Baird-brain on the small screen AGAIN! Spare us… Maybe a better anchor or a rolling anchor could do it better.
Please (x infinity) return The Drum
The Drum is sorely missed. Surely it wasn’t that costly. Was someone at the ABC offended by the wide range of guests? The reason for its sudden departure was never publicised
No thanks, the Drum lost contact with reality. I do like the “Washington Week” format, so much better than The Drum and Insiders. Perhaps the ABC could try a “Canberra Week” program.
I agree entirely. Whoever is responsible for producing the insultingly and non interesting excuse for a quiz program should be sacked. Is it possibly deliberate sabotaging of ABC programming. ? I agree bring back the Drum. I
confess though, that After the demise of the Drum I was leaving the SBS
6.30pm news to catch the replay of the entertaining Hard Quiz,
I take it you mean that cringe worthy ABC program that appears on my TV at6.30 pm on weekdays. Surely the ABC can come up with something better than that!! It does nothing for the viewer. Who wants to watch a line up of TV celebrities???? screeching with laughter at themselves trying to answer ridiculous questions!
And like.many of those who have commented before me I gave up on the 4 Corners program just I gave done with a lot of ABC programs recently.
What is happening to my beloved ABC, where gave you gone?????
I thought there was something missing too – now I get it better! NO deep diving questions by Karvelas so clearly
she had been briefed to keep it ‘light’ at all costs !
Their downfall is nothing less than a WIPE-OUT (more so since the so-called SPLIT with their counterparts)!
Why were the previously excellent Four Corners commentators Adele Ferguson and Louise Milligan, Mike Willacy not engaged to do this program?
Barbara are you serious about Milligan and Ferguson. One is sensational and superficial, the other is an oral aggressive of unedifying proportions.
The lede was Alex Anic’s “you’re fake news” spray at waiting media at the beginning of the piece.
Was that who it was? Antic by name, Antic by nature
I noticed that this Four Corners episode was NOT showing much depth so clearly Karvelas was told to keep it “LIGHT” so as not to offend anyone too much! WHY didn’t the Producers engage their usual investigative reporters (Louise Milligan, Sarah Ferguson, Mike Willacy etc) to do a proper in-depth investigation then questioning across a wider spectrum of COALition people? Very disappointing indeed, but hope this is not the trend for every episode…..
Yes please bring back The Drum with its excellent guests ( most of the time).
The ABC long since perfected the art of what I call the ‘preemptive buckle’, that is, don’t provoke, don’t take risks, avoid the potentially contentious, then roll over for a tummy-rub. The gritty ABC just ain’t there any more. Poor fellow,my ABC.
I agree. What an unnecessary loss the Drum was and what a dismal replacement.
After being born into a small business family with parents who helped to found the Liberal Party in 1949, I have spent a lifetime watching it die from neoliberalism and servitude to the rich. Menzies must have to reach for a second bottle each night to be able to find any rest. Most of this necrosis having been nurtured by that slimy little turd Johnny Howard. As for what’s left of the ABC, scrunch it up with your fish & chip wrappings from Holt St and wish Laura Bon voyage, to anywhere she can escape the mundanity of News Ltd Lite
Thank God I didn’t watch it !
You’re lucky mate.
It’s 1 hour of my life wasted
It smacks of trying to keep in the good books of the boss (the government) with a “see, we are having a go at the LNP, aren’t we good!”.
Indication of this is how soon after the election this was produced, surely more research and investigation would have been needed?
I was hoping the Kim Williams appointment would surprise, but from the outside, besides some tinkering around the edges, nothing much has changed.
Hopefully the new Minister for Communications will do something to move the ABC away from being Murdoch-lite, but I’m not holding my breath.
I agree. It reeks too much of being a “rush to publish” than anything else. The final results are not in yet and here we have un-gobsmacking commentary from participants allegedly at the edge of knowing what was going on and what actually happened without reference or participation of those that were actually at the edge and knew what actually happened.
Key issues were not discussed. Dissembling and blame sharing to other people ruled and we ended up with a fruit salad expose with only the usual fruits in that salad.
A pretty Meh effort.
Wit and disappointment will not win back a thoughtful incisive ABC. How prepared are these commentators to put their “money where their mouth is” so to speak? A huge and visible public outcry coalescing around “somebody” (Ref: Cat in the Hat Comes Back) who will stand atop barricades leading us all to demand a fully funded self determined ABC. Apologies in advance as I watch the hatted cat wreaking havoc.
If anyone wants to remind themselves what a throwback Tony Abbott is, get onto this podcast with Nats ex Dep PM John Anderson: https://johnanderson.net.au/ published 7 May. 58 mins but take it in stages. Will remind you oddly of Stadtler and Waldorf on Sesame Street or The Muppets.
Silly me, here I was hoping that Kim Williams, a hatcher man from the reprehensible reptile media empire, might have returned ABC to its fearless independence and say damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead to principled and courageous editorial freedom. Instead, there has now been added a porky packer stooge, in the form of Hugh Marks (wasn’t Ita the liphping kid bad enough?), with both recycled warmed-over reprehensible reptile, and porky packer propaganda rammed down our throats. As a result, there is very little to cheer about, feeling dread that we have merely replaced the lithping kid, a porky packer stooge with both a reprehensible reptile stooge and another porky packer. I am sure that there were plenty of competent people from the community media outlets, who would have done a remarkable job at running the ABC, and who understand the needs and strengths of a strong public broadcasting sector, rather than more pathetically rusted-on capitalists, and comprador stooges, from two of the most venal, unscrupulous, dictatorial and bigoted media tycoons that have ever existed, and, who both make William Randall Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer look like gentle social democrats by comparison.
Agree re ABC – there has been some really poor reporting lately. And interviews, oh give me strength! The number of times before the election, on radio especially, Radio National at that, the LIberal candidate spouting all the usual rubbish, was treated with such deference, reverence even, that many times I shouted at the radio “what the hell are you being so sweet for, they’d shut the whole ABC down tomorrow if they had their way” !!!
Agree with previous comments that the ABC has gone soft, trying to keep it nice. Too many reporters, not investigative journalists. Also think they are spread too thin on a depleted budget.
I haven’t been able to watch or listen to the ABC for many years. It has been a constant farce – due as much to management as lack of funding And the continuing employment of has-beens [think Speers, the human chainsaw on 7.30, Karvelas etc etc], employment of Murdoch and people who don’t understand analytical thought. I won’t be tuning in again unless I hear that has been a huge change – I no longer trust ABC Friends to tell me.
All I saw on 4 corners last night was a group of people who are interested in themselves and delusions of grandeur.
They cannot admit that they themselves are what went wrong.
A gift to us all.
I always thought the Tories were miserable.
I stand corrected
Plenty of commentators and indeed the author seem to think Albanese would want to strengthen the ABC, particularly the reportage and political analysis components. But I’d have to say the evidence is to the contrary. He’s already had three years and we see the result. I think he and this Labor government are quite happy to have a tamed broadcaster, which has the additional benefit of keeping the Murdoch beast quiet(er).
Struggling to think of the ABC’s finer points.
The format of the Drum was quite zesty but I lost interest in what seemed to be an endless line up of Sydney/NSW-centric ‘experts’. Was that a budget thing?
Ken
Goodbye Laura…how little we were allowed to know you. Your innate good sense and erudition will be a welcome addition to the foreign desk. At the same time, grateful thanks to John Lyon for all your efforts to tell the truth.
Where oh where is Emma Alberici? A criminal waste of talent by an untalented ABC management succumbing to the pressure of even less talented political masters. Kim – do what ever you need to do to bring her back. She has the fortitude to extract and deliver accurate, truthful and crucial information.
Remove forever the nonsense of the quiz shows. These are not consistent with the intent of the ABC Charter. They do nothing to attract occasional consumers and piss off those seeking coverage of the news and current affairs for which the ABC was once renowned.
Scrap News Breakfast, a pale and embarrassing imitation of what the commercial channels already do badly. Start again with total emphasis on “news” and zero attention to “breakfast lifestyle”.
Ditto
Amen to that.
The ABC slowly killing itself like the Coaltion. Instead of challenging or questioning the racist, misogynistic, transphobic, and the nationalistic Christian centred ideas or policies, of the Liberals/Nationals/LNPers, the ABC flies towards those ideas like moths to a light.
Give me the SBS anyday, quietly getting on with reporting the news with facts.
The amount of over editing and camera chops and changes the program had, it needed a disclaimer similar to the ‘strobing effects’ warning.
I felt dizzy watching it. The longest they held a single camera shot was ~ 15 seconds. Majority lasting less than a few seconds. One of the longest camera pans was of empty chairs in an imaginary caucus room.
Each interviewee had four different cameras on them, with absolute bullshit lighting – Ted O’Brian looked like he was in a dungeon, with an KGB interrogation lamp lit upon him, even though it was shot in an office bathed in atrium light.
How can you get a vibe or understand the people they are interviewing, if you only get a few snippet of a few seconds to hear what they say with 4 different camera angles?
It’s a sensory overload by design. The episode was a navel gazing nothing burger, produced by State run Media. Just like RT, BBC, CGTV etc
It’s still a Labor/Liberal coalition ruling the nation. Each just take turns at being shit, in some sort of Kirribilli agreement post Whitlam. (Don Farrell p much admitted this pre election)
Together will always bend over backwards to increase military spending, treat asylum seekers as potential terrorists and do f all for the First Nations people. Both parties will rape and steal resources from unceded indigenous land and bequeath it to billionaires.
4 Corners could’ve wrapped it up in 30 secs. Libs threw the election – they never intended on winning, Minimise votes/preferences to Green, far left and right parties w the help of Clive.
Just keep up to date w the mushroom killer trial, that’s what’s really important…
The ABC has turned into ‘SKY News Lite’. Shallow research, soft interviewing that either barely scratches the surface or is a couple of ‘Gotcha’ questions asked in 10 different ways. The journalist ( and I use that term lightly) are weak and often insipid… where are the new generations of the likes of Paul Lyneham, Kerry Obrien, Mark Colvin, Andrew Olle, Liz Jackson, Leigh Sales, Barry Cassidy?? There’s not one current presenter of news or current affairs that’s a patch on any of these great journalists. Speers and Karvales are ex SKY hacks who are inculcated with Murdochesk views, biases and interpretations. Ferguson is unwatchable on 7.30, they use badly researched reporters with flyweight interviewing skills. Laura Tingle is the only reporter worth watching and she barely gets a chance. And Kim the chairman…. Well he’s great if you’re a one hit comic from the early 80’s. Why doesn’t Kim just go full commercial and ask Tony Barber or Kerri Anne Kennerley for some succinct analysis?
An eloquent article for an organisation that has been moribund for the past two decades or more.
As for the expressed hopes, those too will never emerge as too much faith is being placed in Albanese who is also a complicated man.
Murdoch set out to kill it and he did.
The 4 Corners ep was a damp squib. It didn’t have the time or resources to be another “Nemesis”, but it was dull and predictable nonetheless. PK is a shallow interviewer and there were many lost opportunities to recast the political narrative through thoughtful and truly probing questions.
Laura Tingle’s side-lining is an avoidable tragedy. If she is sometimes a little slow in her delivery, it is a small price to pay for her uncompromising & trenchant analyses and insights. One of the best political commentators in the land. Without her 7.30 will be reduced to mere popcorn. But at least she will be out of the way – ok Rupe? The ABC could do worse than replace her with Jacob Greber, but I doubt they will.
Time for Insiders to be revamped, with a new host (one who knows the difference between host and co-panellist), a bias towards informed analysis rather than predictable partisan foghorns (Samantha Maiden and Jennifer Hewitt come to mind), and a much wider and diverse range of journalists on the couch. Where have Lenore Taylor, Greg Jericho and Bernard Keane been?
Please do something about this recent cadre of very young reporters in the field who regularly reveal their inexperience, lack of linguistic skill, and ignorance of recent history, institutions, people, events, nameplaces . . . Don’t they get trained and supervised anymore?
Finally, time for a clean sweep of the Murdoch mafia. Though I suspect, as above, that the PM is just as interested in a tame ABC as most pollies. I remember the day when both Keating and Howard would fulminate equally against ABC bias when they were in the Lodge.
My thoughts exactly! Watching Insiders use to be the highlight of my Sunday morning!
Once David Speers took over as host I knew it would be the beginning of the end. I mourned for Barry Cassidy and his interviewing style, the way he so easily got the answers he was seeking without making the interviewee or the viewer feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.
Where have all the good producers gone?
I did not watch the 4C program and, indeed have stopped watching the ABC except for the News and occasional programs via IView. As a former journalist with Auntie I have become increasingly concerned at the creeping commercialisation of the ABC and its consequent dumbing down. Replacing the drum with banal quiz shows ( even re runs of the excellent Hard Wuiz, is symptomatic of this decline. Putting ex commercial employees such as Williams and Marks ( and Ita before them) is indicative of what seems to be a bid by consecutive governments to emasculate this once great institution. The News has become a procession of ambulance chasing stories or stories stoking the crime and punishment mindset prevalent in commercial news ( or so I am told). The ABC needs a communications Minister who loves it, who wants it restored to its former glory and who will start by putting in a board comprising people who understand what a national public broadcaster should be.oh, and well done David Hardaker for both the 4C analysis and the Hugh Marks revelation. Birds of a feather…
Agree, in particular the 7 pm news is nowadays a shadow of its former self, and illustrates where the ABC’s mind is. News cannot be what makes the news, but what gives the various fringe groups that warm, fuzzy feeling that it is “their” ABC, and bugger the ordinary (much larger) potential audience. So we get served with “news” snippets by quota, covering Aboriginal, Disabled, sorry, differently abled, women’s sport, the going-ons in some rural town, LGBTQetc. and the like making up the bulk of the bulletin. Meanwhile, over at SBS World News, you get to learn what is actually going on in the world.
It was a very light weight 4 Corners. And can we see less of PK Everywhere, please?
The moment I heard that Karvelas is heading this effort, I figured it would lack depth, and dare not tread where it could really hurt the protagonists.