The ABC’s managing director David Anderson has defended high-profile journalist Laura Tingle over comments she made about Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, telling a parliamentary committee though her remarks lacked context, her reporting for the public broadcaster “stands the test of scrutiny”.
Speaking on a panel at the Sydney Writers’ Festival last weekend, the 7:30 chief political correspondent criticised Mr Dutton’s language on migration policy, as he had suggested migrants were to blame for shortages in housing and services and for putting pressure on infrastructure.
The ABC’s director of news Justin Stevens subsequently counselled Mrs Tingle, saying in a statement her remarks “lacked the context, balance and supporting information of her work for the ABC and would not have met the ABC’s editorial standards.”
Ms Tingle released a statement noting the format of the event did not provide the opportunity to give as much context as she would normally give in her journalism for the ABC.
ABC executives were grilled about the issue at a parliamentary hearing in Canberra on Thursday evening, where Mr Anderson described Ms Tingle’s remarks as a “misstep.”
“Laura Tingle is among the most respected and admired journalists and political commentators in the country. Her reporting across broadcast and print platforms, at numerous media organisations, has always been characterised as candid, honest and accurate,” he said.
“For any journalist to make statements that are not qualified by context and analysis, that becomes problematic in that you’re not applying the same rigour that you otherwise [would] on your own [news] platform.
“Ms Tingle has expressed regret when she’s provided the explanation of what sat behind her off-the-cuff remarks during the writers’ festival.”
‘It was a News Corp pile-on’: Anderson
There has been significant coverage of Ms Tingle’s remarks in the media this week, covering both her comments about Mr Dutton and about racism in Australia.
“We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been and it’s very depressing,” she said at the festival.
Mr Anderson clarified that the counselling Ms Tingle had received was not related to those remarks, which had been the focus of a number of articles in News Corp publications.
“Australia is not unique in coming to terms with issues such as racism, the cost of living, or immigration. They are issues being debated around the world, as they should be,” he said.
Coalition senators questioned Ms Tingle’s impartiality and whether she should leave the ABC, a notion Mr Anderson rejected.
Liberal Senator Dave Sharma asked Mr Anderson if he thought “this episode undermined the ABC’s reputation for impartiality.”
“I think in the eyes of some people it will have, in the way this has been characterised and reported,” Mr Anderson replied.
“There are some people that will find it is confirmation for what they believe, rather than for what the explanations are.”
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young accused the ABC of “throwing Laura Tingle under the bus” and of “cowering to another News Corp pile-on.”
Mr Anderson said the counselling of Ms Tingle was not the result of stories published in News Corp newspapers and websites.
“Yes, it was a News Corp pile-on. But I wouldn’t agree … that we’re cowering. We’re not cowering to News Corp.”