How to fix the ABC’s conflict-addled obsession? First, axe the Insiders approach

The ABC’s political reporting is broken. How to fix it? Take the advice given to all budding writers and kill your darlings — starting with the flagship, Insiders.

It’s been sad to watch the program tilt from its must-watch lifting of the lid of Parliament House, with a teaser on what’s likely to happen next, into an after-the-fact laundering of the ABC’s passive acceptance of News Corp’s judgments on what constitutes news. 

The Murdoch media innovation was to recognise it could take the semiotics of traditional news — its look and feel — and use them to masquerade the campaigning media voice of the populist right. It took a while, but most of the political and journalistic world, particularly in the United States, has figured out what’s going on and adjusted accordingly.

Almost alone, the ABC seems convinced it should follow along with the US corporation’s interpretation of the media landscape, embracing News Corp’s focus that the politics of politics (however manufactured) is what makes “news”. Spoiler: it’s not.

We saw how this all works again on the weekend, with host David Speers desperately attempting to flog a few final faltering steps out of the all-but-dead horse that was Donald Trump’s ramble on Kevin Rudd as Australia’s ambassador to the United States. (Watching the original GB News video, it’s not certain Trump had the faintest idea who Kevin Rudd was, but he was happy to go along with the stunt as a favour to his political ally as interviewer, Nigel Farage.)

Sure, nothing excites the provincial mindset of Australia’s traditional media more than the thought that someone, somewhere in the global imperial centre, has noticed us. And it’s no surprise Australia’s right-wing media would grab the opportunity to kick back at one of its domestic enemies. It’s a sign, too, of the balance of power between the political and media wings of Australia’s right that the federal Liberals felt the need to try to kick the story along in Parliament — despite the criticism they received.

But the ABC embracing the stunt as the key news of the week demonstrates just how blind the broadcaster’s political news judgment has become.

It’s not a one-off; it follows the avid promotion of News-driven talking points over the past few months, all given legitimacy through Insiders’ focus: the nuclear renaissance, the “ute tax” lens on emissions standards, and the “broken promise” framing of Labor’s restructuring of stage three tax cuts.

There are some signs the ABC recognises its Insiders problem, at least since respected former editor of The Australian David Armstrong’s public critique of Speers, tweeting: “He is interested in superficial political analysis because he is incapable of delving deeply into policy”.

Speers’ recent interviews have become less antagonistic, with fewer interruptions, although his recent questioning of Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles came with an elaborate gotcha set-up on AUKUS expenditure addled by confusion over four-year and 10-year figures.

Yet Speers’ time as political editor for Sky News demonstrated that his best work comes when he lets the subject make their own mistakes, with his nice-guy persona leaving them comfortable enough to be careless, like his famous reputation-ending interview with George Brandis.

The recent Nemesis series demonstrated the strengths the ABC brings when it builds its political reporting around the answers rather than the questions, with a “show-don’t-tell” production.

On 7.30, Sarah Ferguson’s and Laura Tingle’s best interviews are when they set aside the News Corp politics-as-conflict talking points and use the space of current affairs to critically explore policy — you know, the things governments do that actually matter. Similarly, the best of the Insiders panellists are often ABC non-Canberra specialist reporters brought in to add depth on a matter of policy.

Meanwhile, John Lyons’ reporting and interviews out of the Middle East are showing a better way, with a passion for the story and depth of knowledge leavened with a critical distance from the players to provide an outstanding balance in that most complex of stories.

But first: the ABC has to kill the News Corp darling of the politics-of-politics conflict and give us reporting on policy that matters.

Is it time for the ABC to rethink its politics reporting? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.