Communications Minister Paul Fletcher then publicly called on the ABC board to examine its complaints handling process. ABC sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the board was already considering a review at that time.
Around the same time, Rupert Murdoch’s US media outlet Fox News demanded an external inquiry be conducted into two episodes of ABC’s Four Corners that focused on the American cable TV network’s coverage of former US president Donald Trump and its role in the 2020 general election.
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In early September the ABC also upheld a complaint by former Senator Cory Bernardi about a program by Annabel Crabb called Ms Represented, who said it included misleading and false allegations about him, and that he was not given a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Professor McMillan and Mr Carroll’s review will have 11 terms of reference including the adequacy for ABC editorial policies and code of practice, the suitability of the ABC complaint process for dealing with concerns and whether complaints are dealt with efficiently, fairly and reasonably. It will also look at remedies for breaches, informing staff about complaint outcomes, and whether the teams that investigate complaints are well resourced.
The review is the first to be commissioned since 2008, when then ABC chairman Maurice Newman and former head of editorial policies Paul Chadwick reviewed the regulatory framework. The review conducted by Mr Newman, who is now one of the more vocal critics of the national broadcaster, found the framework was “fundamentally sound”, but it made a number of recommendations to upgrade the system.
An Australian National Audit Office review in 2018 also looked at the way ABC handled complaints, and found its framework effective.
ABC managing director David Anderson said the review would help the national broadcaster maintain its commitment to improving the quality of its coverage. “This review will assist the ABC to maintain its commitment to continuous quality improvement,” Mr Anderson said.
