ABC and SBS to appear at antisemitism royal commission after complaints of ‘unbalanced’ Middle East coverage | Royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion
Representatives from the ABC and SBS will be called as witnesses to the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion after a complaint was made to the inquiry into their coverage of the Middle East.
On Monday, the consultant helps Some submissions to the royal commission set up after the Bondi terror attack were “highly critical” of public broadcasters’ coverage of the Middle East conflict, Richard Lancaster SC said.
“These media organizations hold a particularly important and trusted position in the Australian media landscape. Their charters, contracts and policies bind them to high standards of accuracy, impartiality and balance. [which] “They are accused of thinking about it and actually encouraging it,” he said.
“There are complaints that the ABC and SBS broadcast inaccurate or unbalanced coverage, both in the selection and focus of news and the interviews they produce.”
He said Jillian Segal, the special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, would be called to speak about those concerns.
“Witnesses from public broadcasters will also be called to describe the approach taken by the ABC and SBS in their coverage of the conflict,” Mr Lancaster said.
An SBS spokesman said they were “engaged in the royal commission process, including written submissions”.
ABC also submitted an application.
“We recognize the importance of the royal commission and will continue to work constructively,” a spokesman said.
The ABC has consistently defended its coverage against what chief executive Hugh Marks called “unfounded” criticism.
ABC chief executive Kim Williams last month defended the broadcaster against claims of biased reporting by News Corp.
“Recent commercial media have accused the ABC of bias and contributing to the rise of antisemitism. The ABC stands by its coverage of the conflict in the Middle East,” Williams said. Statement to the Sydney Morning Herald.
SBS also defended its reporting.
“As a public service media organisation, SBS provides accurate, balanced and impartial reporting on a range of issues, including antisemitism and social cohesion, in accordance with the SBS code of practice and in accordance with its charter,” the spokesman said.
Over the next two weeks, commissioner Virginia Bell will hear evidence about “the spread of antisemitic content and other forms of hate speech online, as well as antisemitism in traditional media and broadcasting.”
Lancaster told the commission that not all social media platforms responded well to inquiries.
Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and TikTok are engaging in a “meaningful” way, he said.
But there was no response from X or Telegram, and a limited response from Reddit and Twitch, with a representative saying Gab was being “clearly hostile” by saying the platform would “publish what it wants, when it wants.”
Lancaster raised the “potential for the online environment to function as an incubator for anti-Semitic violence.”
“It has become increasingly evident that the online environment, and social media platforms in particular, is perhaps the most important vector in the spread of antisemitism and hatred in society,” he said.
