A public broadcaster that bows to political pressure isn’t doing its job
By pulling Emma Alberici’s analysis of the Turnbull government’s tax cuts, the ABC revealed a little too much about the crisis of confidence it’s currently suffering through, writes Johan Lidberg in this crossposting from The Conversation.
The ABC’s chief economics correspondent, Emma Alberici, did her job the other day. She wrote a well-researched analysis piece investigating whether the Turnbull government’s proposed company tax cuts would grow the economy and break Australia’s wages deadlock.
Alberici’s article came in for a lot of criticism from the Turnbull government for its one-sidedness and lack of balance. Later, the ABC took down the article from its website.
If you read her piece, you’ll see that, yes, she could have included more voices, and yes, the case for company tax cuts was forcefully argued against. But the argument and analysis was built on sound research, as Saul Eslake (one of Australia’s most senior and respected independent economists, who was quoted in Alberici’s story) has pointed out.
The ABC’s own guidelines are there for a purpose. Alberici felt she was above them and suffered the consequences.
As much as I agree with the headline, you cannot autotragically blanket say this has happened in this case. Or in Nick Ross’ either.
I have known Nick for years, written for him as he has written for me and I believe him.
But in Ms Alberici’s case it is all hearsay as I see it. It might appear to be the situation, but we cannot know for sure.
Having read the article and the form of its critique of any corporate tax cut, it is opinion. The ABC/SBS should not have an opinion, but present opinions. This was Emma’s opinion, and that is where Emma breached the ABC charter. The ABC/SBC are platforms for disseminating opinons and facts, not championing one over the other.
Its a fail.
Conversely, if the ABC’s remit is to provide “balance” then the piece served its purpose in the face of the current deluge of lemmings leaping off the company tax cut cliff lead be El Presidente Trump. Next we will be building a wall as well.