February 4, 2013
Mr Mark Scott,
Managing Director
ABC
Dear Mark,
Re: ABC apology to anonymous complainant and reprimand to Jon Faine over hisĀ interview with former shock-jock Michael SmithĀ
I write to seek information on this matter and express my concerns at its process.
I first learned of it through a strongly worded protest by ABC political editor ChrisĀ Uhlmann published on Twitter at @CUhlmann:
The ABCās finding that Jon Faine is guilty of a ālapse in standardsā in 2 interviewsĀ on the AWU slush fund is absurd. http://t.co/6pOOlvtd
Jon challenged two journalists to defend claims that the Prime Minister acted improperly in her former career as a lawyer.
Jon believes that, based on the publicly available evidence, the Prime Minister did no wrong. To date, the facts support that view.
The interviews, which so shamed the ABCās correctness commissars, were robust exchanges between a broadcaster and two journalists.
Jon pressed them to lay out the key allegations and provide evidence to supportĀ their claims of wrongdoing. In short, he did his job. Well.
Jon is one of the jewels of local radioās crown and I am proud that I was once hisĀ producer. I await a robust defence of him from management.
While on the topic. I also think itās high time we fell in behind our peerless politicalĀ commentator Barrie Cassidy.
Naturally I was interested to find out more.
Chrisās link was to an OZ paywall story. I found a short piece at Fairfax.Ā I found nothing at all on the ABC mediaĀ platforms or on its corporate website.
Luckily, former ABC broadcaster Peter ClarkeĀ sent me the result of his in-depth search, a very buried, very brief statement of theĀ decision with no background or reasons.
To my great surprise I got more information from Mr Smithās website, because heĀ published the ABC email to the anonymous complainant, who appears to be one of Ā his fans.Ā See āJon Faine – will you resign?ā
As I write, I can find no media release by the ABC and no news story on the apology,Ā reprimand or Mr Uhlmannās call for ABC management to back Mr Faine and withdraw theĀ finding.
The day after the finding, a listener who had heard Jon Faine comment on air, reported
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā FAINE NEWS: @MsMountebank reports that during āWrapā segment today JonĀ Faine said he Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā wasnāt happy with the ABC decision against him and had asked for aĀ review.
However, he said he had conflicting advice whether it was possible to get a review.
Faine also noted that within minutes of receiving the decision it was online at TheĀ Age, which did not ask him for comment. This was despite the fact that one of theĀ people in the interview complained of was Age journalist Mark Baker.
Editors note: The Age needs to be asked if Faineās allegation is true, and if so, toĀ explain its poor form. I would also love to publish an interview with Mr. FaineĀ in http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.comĀ Any takers?
Mr Faineās comments were not reported by the ABC and ABC Melbourne radio did notĀ reply to my request for audio of his remarks. The Australian reported them behind aĀ paywallĀ and Crikey also reportedĀ behind a pay wall. Michael Smith reported them here. Fairfax, despite the criticismĀ by Mr Faine of its actions, was silent. I tried in vain to obtain from Melbourne ABC radio anĀ audio or transcript of Mr Faineās remarks.
To be blunt, I was horrified by the process, the failure ofĀ transparency by corporate ABC, the apparent censorship by ABC news platforms, and the lack of respect shown to Mr Faineās listeners. I also believe it is wrong not to publish the background to and reasoning behind such an importantĀ decision. It is unfair to Mr Faine, contemptuous of his listeners, and inimical toĀ transparency in what will be an extraordinarily fraught election year.
I tweeted the following into the ABC void:
ABC LISTENERS please ask ABC to publish its order against Jon Faine and advise of his review rights. @abcmarkscott @mickmillett
— š£Margo Kingstonš§š„ (@margokingston1) February 1, 2013
Mark, I find myself in agreement with Gerard Henderson at The Sydney Institute website:
As ABC managing director and editor-in-chief, Mark Scott is paid substantially moreĀ than the Treasurer Wayne Swan.Ā When there is a complaint about a senior ABCĀ figure like Jon Faine, this clearly is a matter for the public broadcasterās editor-inchief to resolve.Ā However, nice Mr Scott delegates such key matters to middle levelĀ ABC bureaucrats based in Canberra.
Please explain.
Sincerely,
Margo Kingston
@margokingston1
https://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/
Audio of the 2 Jon Faine interviews in question:Ā Jon Faine Interview with Mike Smith and Mark Baker 23 November 2013
AFHP Archive for Jon Faine apologyĀ
Selected tweets from working journalists concerned at the implications of the FaineĀ decision:
The interviews, which so shamed the ABCās correctness commissars, were robust exchanges between a broadcaster and two journalists. MTC
— Chris Uhlmann (@CUhlmann) January 31, 2013
@margokingston1 @benpobjie @cuhlmann @colvinius @wendycarlisle @bernardkeane I'm absolutely supporting Faine-all the way
— Raf Epstein (@Raf_Epstein) February 1, 2013
Jon Faine ABC ruling has a chill effect on Journo's interested in reporting not what people say, but whether they have evidence @CUhlmann
— Wendy Carlisle (@Wendycarlisle) January 31, 2013
if the ABC seriously thinks Faine's aggressive challenging of a disgusting smear campaign was wrong, we're in trouble.
— Bernard Keane (@BernardKeane) February 1, 2013
https://twitter.com/Gay_Alcorn/status/297229213394685954
If I read the Jon Faine ruling right @leighsales must give back her Walkley while Piers & David have to hold hands on the @InsidersABC sofa.
— George Megalogenis (@GMegalogenis) February 1, 2013
Good on Mr Smith. He couldn't destroy the PM with his AWU slush sting, but he got the ABC to humiliate a journo who called him on his crap.
— š£Margo Kingstonš§š„ (@margokingston1) February 1, 2013
https://twitter.com/snooplady/status/296790501061967873
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