ABC’s shock admission over ‘doctored’ war footage – as public broadcaster announces unprecedent response to scandal

The ABC admits it was warned almost two years ago that it had a “falsified” view of an Australian soldier shooting at unarmed civilians in Afghanistan, but that it “regrettably” did nothing with the information.

The public broadcaster’s outgoing chief executive, David Anderson, has now announced a fully independent investigation into the scandal.

The taxpayer-funded organisation has come under fire since an audio expert claimed the sound of at least five gunshots had been added to the footage, making it appear as if Australian soldiers were repeatedly shooting villagers instead of firing a single warning shot.

The clip was part of an online report into alleged war crimes by the ABC’s elite investigative unit, but was removed last week after Seven’s Spotlight program raised questions about the manipulated audio.

Mr Anderson acknowledged the “editing error” late on Friday night when he announced the external investigation.

“Based on a preliminary investigation, an editing error was identified in the audio and we have removed the video,” Anderson said in a statement.

This error should not have occurred.

‘Further allegations have subsequently been made about the ABC’s reporting and use of the helmet camera footage, including the way it was edited into the 7.30am broadcast.’

The ABC investigation focuses on the apparent addition of five extra gunshots by an Australian soldier who shot an Afghan man during a 2012 operation

Although he said concerns about the audio were first raised with ABC News only last week, he acknowledged that warnings had been sent to the broadcaster’s legal team nearly two years ago.

“I have since learned that ABC Legal received a letter in November 2022 raising concerns about the audio editing,” he said.

“Unfortunately, at no time was this letter, or the information contained within it, distributed to ABC News.”

James Raper, an independent expert in forensic digital audio, told Spotlight he believes audio of up to six gunshots was “copy-pasted” beneath the footage to make it look even more sinister.

The manipulated audio has sparked outrage, with some critics accusing the ABC of deliberately smearing the country’s war heroes.

Anderson said identifying the source of the error is critical to maintaining public trust in journalism.

‘The ABC is subject to the strictest scrutiny, and rightly so, given the trust the public places in it.

‘Trust in the ABC has been built over time by delivering excellent journalism, maintaining the highest editorial standards and being transparent with the public about how we do that.

‘The ABC would like to maintain that trust.’

He said the an independent assessment would attempt to ‘to fully understand what happened and to make the necessary recommendations for the future.

Mr Anderson defended the “public interest issues raised in the stories”, which “remain valid”, but clarified that the ABC “has still removed” the articleuntil further notice’.

More information about the investigation, including who will lead it, will be released in the coming days. The findings will be made public at an “appropriate time.”

The images were used in an online article and accompanying 7.30 report in September 2022, but have since been taken offline

According to 86-year-old former ABC chairman Maurice Newman, the ABC had become a “selfish collective” since he left in 2012.

Mr Newman said the “latest revelation” of manipulated audio in an ABC report confirmed what he has been saying about the broadcaster for “a very long time”.

“The ABC is a selfish collective that won’t let the truth get in the way of a good story,” the former chairman told the Herald Sun.

‘(It) has become the shameless megaphone of the left, acting contrary to its actions, its statutes, its editorial policy and the interests of a cohesive society.’

ABC News boss Justin Stevens says the clip appears to have been ‘edited incorrectly’

He defended ABC investigative editor Jo Puccini, saying she was unaware of the footage

Mr Stevens says investigative journalist Mark Willacy was also unaware of the clip

ABC News president Justin Stevens has fiercely defended the award-winning star journalists behind the investigative series – Jo Puccini, Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson – saying they had “no role in the production or editing” of the clip.

“A preliminary investigation has revealed that some of the audio was not edited correctly,” he said during a speech on media trust and transparency at the Melbourne Press Club on Tuesday.

“We have removed the video and are still investigating how this happened. Once we have all the facts, we will determine the appropriate response.”

“Until we have clarity on how it happened, I will not make any further statements about it, so as not to prolong the matter.”