ABC demands no bias over Voice as it bans words ‘grog’ and ‘booze’ from Alice Springs reporting
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ABC implements “deep dive” training to remind its journalists to NOT show bias when reporting on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, as it bans the words “grog” and “alcoholic beverage”.
- ABC reminds all journalists to be impartial
- Stories in ‘Voice’ must not show any bias
- Staff will undergo an intensive training session
ABC journalists will receive training to remind them of their responsibility to be impartial when reporting on the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
An email sent to staff on Monday noted that ABC journalists were about to “embark on one of the most difficult and momentous stories in recent memory.”
A “deep dive” training session for journalists would be used to discuss “some tricky editorial policy issues” and instruct reporters not to prefer one view of the Voice over any other.
The email, obtained by the aussieit reinforced the “fairness standards” that ABC expected of its journalists.
ABC journalists will receive training to remind them of their responsibility to be impartial when reporting on the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Senator Lidia Thorpe (above) resigned from the Greens over her opposition to Voice
“No significant line of thought or belief within the community is knowingly excluded or disproportionately represented,” it states.
‘Staff do not unduly favor one perspective over another.
“ABC takes no editorial stance other than its commitment to fundamental democratic principles, including the rule of law, freedom of expression and religion, parliamentary democracy, and equal opportunity.”
The email said that journalists must abide by the national broadcaster’s “broader commitment to inclusion and diversity.”
The fairness guidelines were necessary to “avoid the unwarranted use of stereotyping or discriminatory content that could reasonably be construed as endorsing or promoting bias.”
An ABC spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia there was nothing unusual about the training session, led by editorial policy manager Mark Maley and editorial policy adviser Bridget Caldwell-Bright, who is an indigenous woman.
The ABC has already banned the use of ‘grog’ when reporting on alcohol restrictions in the Northern Territory. Police are pictured in Alice Springs
“ABC regularly conducts editorial training to ensure our coverage of major news and events is in line with our editorial policies and statutory obligations,” the spokeswoman said.
Earlier this month, ABC apologized for a radio report describing a crime-ridden Alice Springs community meeting with elements of “white supremacy.”
The Outback town has been in the national spotlight amid reports of hundreds of children roaming the streets at night, increased property damage and alcohol-fueled violence.
Temporary alcohol bans have been reinstated in the Northern Territory preventing its sale in urban campgrounds and remote communities in the wake of the recent crisis.
An email sent to staff on Monday noted that ABC journalists were about to “embark on one of the most difficult and momentous stories in recent memory.”
Maley previously banned the use of ‘grog’ when reporting on alcohol restrictions in central Australia, ruling it was ‘inappropriately colloquial’ and warning that the word could ‘potentially be stereotyped’.
“Reference ‘alcohol,’ not ‘grog’ and ‘alcoholic beverage’ or similar slang in news, current affairs or talk shows,” he wrote in another staff memo.
‘The issue of restrictions on access to alcohol in the Northern Territory and elsewhere is highly contentious and newsworthy.
“It is very important that ABC is seen to report on these issues in a way that is accurate, unbiased and does not inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes.”