ABC SBS Bias

Ronaldson slams SBS & ABC’s Mid East bias, calls for review

Senator Michael Ronaldson today slammed the ABC and SBS, and called on them to heed community concerns over biased reporting in their news and current affairs by undertaking an immediate public review.

“The current lamentable situation in the Middle East requires objective and unbiased reporting. On this count the ABC and SBS have failed again, putting them in breach of their Charters”

Senator Ronaldson said.

“Recent reporting by the ABC and SBS suggests they have taken no notice of widespread community concerns of bias in their news and current affairs services.”

“The ABC and SBS should demonstrate their good faith to the Australian community by immediately instigating a review of their recent coverage of the Middle East.”

The Senator’s call comes after George Negus on the SBS Dateline program hectored his interviewee, asked loaded questions, aired conspiracy theories and levelled extreme and offensive accusations.

“Airing conspiracy theories and levelling unfounded accusations of perpetrating war crimes is well below the standards expected of quality journalists”

Senator Ronaldson observed.

Bias in news and current affairs at the ABC also appears to have continued unabated. Quotes attributed to Israeli government and miltary sources have been apparently altered. The ABC appears to have changed references made by Israeli sources to ‘terrorists’ to instead refer to ‘militants’.

“The ABC must act quickly to affirm its commitment to objective and unbiased reporting of the situation in the Middle East” Senator Ronaldson said.

“It should concern every Australian that despite this issue being repeatedly raised by me and others at Senate Estimates, and elsewhere, bias appears endemic in news and current affairs at the ABC and SBS.”

“A public review must be instigated with the greatest urgency.”

Senator Ronaldson said.

Senator Ronaldson also called on all members of the public to submit examples of recent biased reporting in ABC and SBS news and current affairs to his office so that he could raise the issue of bias in the strongest possible terms.

“If the ABC and SBS won’t demonstrate their commitment to objective reporting I will be forced to again bring the community concerns to the next Senate Estimates hearing,”

Senator Ronaldson concluded.