As the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion examines the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the broadcaster's primary failing is its refusal to acknowledge the existence of a problem, according to commentary from the Daily Mail.
The inquiry has focused on a perception within the Jewish community that the ABC lacks balance, particularly in its coverage of Gaza, and disproportionately amplifies anti-Israeli voices. Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal told the inquiry that the ABC "marks its own homework," acting as both judge and jury when evaluating its performance. The broadcaster's response has largely reiterated its existing procedures and complaint processes, noting that no complaints of bias in its Middle East coverage have been upheld.
This institutional defensiveness has been contrasted with past incidents, such as the "14,000 babies" claim aired last May. Despite corrections from the United Nations and the BBC, the ABC reportedly continued to broadcast the emotionally charged and false statistic. While the Ombudsman found the statistic to be material and noted the network failed to ensure accuracy, the ABC's internal processes did not lead to a finding of bias in its Middle East coverage. Furthermore, the initial, false claim received significant airtime, while corrections were reportedly given minimal attention.
Critics argue that the issue is not necessarily individual journalists intentionally showing bias but rather a subtler, more pervasive problem of "editorial instincts that too often seem to lean in one direction," followed by institutional defensiveness. This is attributed to potential "ideological groupthink" within newsrooms where a perceived shared worldview is mistaken for common sense, leading to a genuine inability to see the problem.
Further controversy arose following the Bondi terror attacks. Global affairs editor Laura Tingle faced criticism for stating the alleged actions had "nothing to do with religion." Additionally, an interview by Sarah Ferguson with Josh Frydenberg, suggesting his post-massacre comments may have been political, was also scrutinized for its framing.
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks has defended these instances. Critics contend that when Jewish leaders, the antisemitism envoy, and a Royal Commission raise alarms, the ABC's instinct is to defend and deny, hindering any potential for repair. The argument is that the taxpayer-funded broadcaster, while not expected to be pro-Israel, must strive for accuracy, fairness, and awareness of its framing's consequences, a trust that must be continually earned and is currently perceived as being squandered.
In a separate note, commentator Peter van Onselen admitted to being wrong in his pre-Origin series prediction that rugby league player Nathan Cleary should be dropped. Cleary subsequently won man of the match in Game 1, player of the series, and was instrumental in New South Wales' series victory. Van Onselen suggested Cleary deserves consideration for official immortal status.