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Read ABC’s humiliating apology after ‘skewed’ reporting of Alice Springs crime wave: Broadcaster admits coverage was ‘incomplete’ amid furor at ‘white supremacist’ crisis meeting
- ABC apologized for Alice Springs coverage
- Broadcaster criticized for crisis meeting report
ABC has apologized after sparking backlash for its coverage of an Alice Springs crisis meeting that was described as a “white supremacist fest.”
The public broadcaster issued a humiliating apology admitting it provided ‘incomplete’ coverage of the Save Alice Springs meeting held on Monday.
Some 3,000 terrified locals had turned up to speak out about their concerns about the out-of-control youth crime wave sweeping through their community.
ABC was accused of bias after interviewing people who criticized the gathering as ‘racist’, with one calling it ‘scary’ and a ‘white supremacist fest’ despite the fact that indigenous leaders were also present at the gathering. .
ABC has apologized after sparking backlash for its coverage of an Alice Springs crisis meeting that was described as a “white supremacist fest.”
The public broadcaster issued a humiliating apology admitting it provided “incomplete” coverage of the Save Alice Springs meeting held on Monday.
The public broadcaster faced the threat of an official investigation for its coverage that aired on its flagship current affairs program AM and in another television report.
ABC issued a statement Saturday apologizing to its audience.
“We recognize that a report on AM was incomplete and did not adequately cover the full context of the meeting or the range of perspectives expressed in it,” it said.
“ABC News apologizes to the public for providing an incomplete picture of the event in this case.”
The public broadcaster went on to say that it had “accurately reported” the views of “some people who attended the community meeting.”
“However, this report should have included a broader range of perspectives expressed at the meeting, and more information about what was discussed, to provide additional context,” the statement read.
“Following this report, ABC News published additional coverage of the issue that included a broader range of perspectives and contexts.”
ABC stood by its journalists saying that it had extensively covered the current issues of substance abuse and public violence in the area.
ABC Indian Affairs correspondent Carly Williams’ live television broadcast of the meeting said many people had left the meeting early and that “one non-Indigenous person” had described the meeting as “a show disgusting white supremacist”.
The AM report from the crisis meeting is still available online, but it comes with an editor’s note.
Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, a former ABC employee, has lodged a complaint about two reports ABC filed about a crime meeting with the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Senator Henderson called the report “monumentally distorted” and criticized ABC management defending the report as “utter and utter garbage”.
The senator, who once worked as a consumer reporter at ABC and once hosted 7.30 in Victoria, described the station’s coverage as ‘garbage reporting’.
But he said the report highlighted a deeper problem with the taxpayer-funded broadcaster, which is supposed to be free from bias under its charter.
“ABC senior management and advisers have defended this report,” he said.
Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, a former ABC employee, has lodged a complaint about two reports ABC filed about a crime meeting with the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
‘There should be a retraction, an apology and a review of journalistic training standards.
“I am asking the ACMA to investigate ABC for a violation of its code of practice.”
Thousands of fed up residents turned out for the Save Alice Springs rally after intense media focus on the town’s battle against a crime crisis, amid threats from locals to sue the Northern Territory government over a compensation of 1.5 billion dollars.
The audience at the town hall meeting included concerned families, business owners, indigenous leaders, health and emergency service workers, and police officers.
ABC’s Indian Affairs correspondent Carly Williams’ live telecast said many people had left the gathering early and that “a non-Indigenous person” had described the gathering as “a disgusting display of white supremacy.”