Yesterday’s Bernard Keane piece on ABC chair Justin Milne and his silence in the face of attacks from the government brought about a wave of responses from Crikey readers, many around the same theme — attacking the independence of the national broadcaster are an attack on democracy in this country. But the Alberici saga is only the latest iteration; and both major parties are culpable for the state of the discourse around Aunty. 

On the attacks on the ABC, and the silence of their leadership

John Bushell writes:  Eric Abetz and his associated troglodytes recent persuasion of the ABC to drop feed from Al-Jazeera into ABC 24 is a further dilution of high reputation news 
in Australia and a strengthening of the penetration of low quality news which reflects the prejudices of its consumers.

Contestation of ideas has been essential for human development but this government has stifled progressive thought and action at every opportunity. Maybe the next time some filing cabinets find their way to the ABC they should  hang on to them and not hand these potential “weapons” to an organisation that is clearly their  adversary.

John Weiley writes: The ABC is the bedrock of Australian democracy — it is far more important than the parliament . All of our institutions are fundamentally dependent on good information but only an independent ABC is  in a position to provide it. We need to do more to strengthen the independence of the ABC. At present — even without the latest attack — staff morale is at a low ebb with inadequate resources and no job security.This creates an atmosphere of desperation that empowers the ratings hounds within the organisation. 

If Labor can be made rise above it’s own short term interest it could mount a very powerful policy of  support for an independent and properly resourced broadcaster which could attract Liberal and National party votes.

Jan Forrester writes:  Bernard, you’ve said it all succinctly.  People are more self-protective inside the ABC these days —  there are plenty of exits, all leading to the lions’ den. Thanks for reminding me of Milne. I had forgotten him.  Here is what Gerard Henderson said about him as he slid into the chair. Even staff-elected representatives are floating not fighting. ABC does not even manage internally these days — it enables hunger games where staff have to compete internally against others to ” survive”. 

I doubt there is much ABC upward management now because that requires intelligent, creative senior managers who back their staff. If anything management is focused on just keeping the ship moving. I think the ABC is a symptom of a wider canker. You remember, but most don’t, why Mottram was pilloried — the questions she asked re Iraq as our government fell in behind the US, whilst so many of us marched against joining the Iraq fiasco. 

Lee Tinson writes: The attacks on the ABC are well-entrenched nasty party policy. Picking on Emma Alberici like this would seem to indicate that while there might — MIGHT — have been some inaccuracy, which might or might not have even been her fault, the article was accurate enough to drive them to hysteria. Not unlike the Chinese government newspaper, and with a similar purpose. This government lacks both honesty and sense making these attacks. Further it’s cowardly and in my view a sackable offence on the part of the current ABC chair and MD to fail to support their senior journalists. 

Anne Weir writes: I think they’re disgraceful and akin to regimes all over the world which retaliate against those news outlets which legitimately criticise them.

Neville Ludbey writes: The appalling cronyism between Milne, and Turnbull has to have something to do with the lack of fight back by the ABC, and to be ‘a busy business man’ no doubt manipulating the system so as not to pay any tax that might be due by MYOB is frankly disgusting.  There seems to be no shame, and no way of counteracting these miscarriages of ethics and justice. Greed and corporates are winning hands down it seems. Will a change of government make any difference? One despairs that it may not.  

Lucille Rogers writes: The government attacks on the ABC are blatant censorship and it is disappointing that the “leadership” of the ABC is silent. Whilst some Labour leaders have got stuck into the ABC over the years, they have never so deliberately tried to muzzle voices as what is happening now. The budget cuts are disgraceful and effectively crippling the quality of broadcasting. 
We should be proud to have a national broadcaster and the government should support it properly.