“The issue was the public comments ... did not provide the relevant context and explanation to support her analysis of the opposition’s post-budget policy position on immigration.”
Anderson said Tingle’s reporting, commentary and analysis on the ABC’s various platforms was “candid, honest and accurate”. But the “off-the-cuff” comments made in the context of a panel discussion at the writers’ festival on Sunday did not meet the same standards.
Senator Sarah Henderson during Thursday’s Senate estimates hearing.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“The issue was not calling out racism,” Anderson said. “The issue was that the comments did not provide adequate context.”
Anderson conceded that the ABC’s charter – which explicitly states its commitment to impartiality – meant that its journalists were held to a higher standard than those in other media organisations.
Noting that Tingle had been “counselled” by Stevens, and had issued a statement herself offering context for her comments, Anderson said: “Ms Tingle does not deserve the ferocity and frankly vicious attacks she has received this week.”
Her comments on Sunday “would not have passed the tests for our editorial standards if they were on an ABC platform”, he said, adding that he believed it was a misstep for them “to be made the way they were”.
“Summarising them in that way … was a mistake,” he said.
Earlier on radio, Dutton had doubled down on his criticisms of the ABC, describing Tingle as “a partisan, she’s a Greens/Labor supporter”.
“She is political in nature and therefore her credibility as a journalist really is shot ... she’s just now completely destroyed her credibility, but they’ll keep her on because that’s what happens at the ABC,” Dutton said on 2GB.
Asked by Liberal senator David Sharma if the comments and the fallout from them had undermined public trust in the impartiality of the ABC, Anderson said: “In the eyes of some people it will have. For some, it will be confirmation of what they believe.”
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He added that comments such as those made by Tingle, “which are reported and misreported by other organisations, are hurtful to the ABC”.
He agreed with a suggestion by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young that the attacks constituted “a News Corp pile-on”.
“I am quite regretful that these statements were made without the usual qualification they would usually have,” Anderson said. “That hurt the ABC, Ms Tingle suffered for it, it allowed other people to take the debate in a different direction. I am genuinely sorry that happened, I wish it hadn’t.”
Asked by Henderson if he would apologise to Dutton, Anderson said: “When political leaders put things out for debate, I can’t be accountable for what happens off-platform.”
Anderson was also asked about the progress of an internal investigation into claims of racism within the ABC. The review began in October, he said, had heard from about 100 people and was due to report by July. Its findings would be shared with staff and made public at an unspecified time after that.
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