Some controversy has been occurring over proposed revisions to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Code of Conduct. That Code lays down some of the obligations imposed on ABC staff by management (plus a very few very general obligations of management to staff).
Part of the role of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is to entertain; another part is to inform and educate. Given the nature of television, Channel 2 has more of a focus on entertainment.
In contrast Radio National's main focus is on information. For that reason it is both the jewel in the ABC's crown and is that part of the ABC most disliked by the government of the day (whether ALP or Coalition).
While the ABC is not the biggest broadcaster in Australia, unlike the commercial media it focuses on depth and quality rather than packaging an audience for sale to advertisers. The debates that it can stimulate can therefore make a valuable contribution to settling pressing economic, social and political problems. The 7:30 Report, for instance, often sets the agenda for day-to-day political issues.
As is well known, there is a group of extremely conservative commentators who not only oppose any less conservative point of view, but object to any less conservative point of view even being discussed (hence the history wars). Global warming is one taboo, liberal social positions are another. Since those commentators and the Howard Government share an extremely conservative philosophy, they often criticise the ABC more or less on the Howard Government's behalf. Gerard Henderson, for instance, devoted a complete article to the bucketing of the ABC's At The Movies for praising Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11.
Yet today's situations need today's answers. Small adjustments to cope with big problems may not produce any improvement at all. If, as NSW Premier has suggested, "temperature increases could make Australia less inhabitable and could also have dire global consequences", it is hard to believe that the required adjustments could be done as part of "business as usual".
So, the community will need to seriously discuss the alternatives regarding the enormously expensive commitments that would seem necessary.
So it is important that ABC journalists have the freedom to be controversial and to challenge existing beliefs that seem likely to be wrong. Informed criticism of government policy will be one result.
So the Code of Conduct is of interest to us, the Friends of the ABC (WA), to the extent that it affects the commitment to excellence of ABC employees, and their capacity to becoming involved in public debates.
Senior ABC management doesn't come up looking good, unfortunately. Overall, the managerialist attitude displayed within the Draft Code is depressingly familiar. Employees are regarded as a problem needing control rather than as people to be encouraged. The effect of this Code is to suppress, control, and dictate, not to lead. It is once again obvious that the contract of employment is not one between equals.
While no doubt there have been other incidents, the Crittenden affair of July 2003 is the most recent, well-known case of suppression of an ABC employee's freedom of expression. It involved the presenter of The Religion Report, Stephen Crittenden, being suspended for failing to get prior management approval for an (uncontroversial) article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the significance of Samuel Huntington's 'Clash of Civilizations'. Though found to have committed "serious misconduct" he was later allowed to return to work. In May 2003 Mr Crittenden had sought approval for the above and two other outside activities. A talk at the Opera House on the Requiem mass was quickly approved. A talk on sexuality, religion and HIV to postgraduate medical students was approved only on the basis that Mr Crittenden conceal his ABC employment, though management later gave way on that point. As Media Watch put it so well, "The pattern's clear: religious music - OK, religion and sex - iffy, and Islamic issues? Oh My God!"
Particular shortcomings of the proposed Code are that it identifies few employer responsibilities, but many employee responsibilities; if anything, it makes the concepts of 'ethical dilemma' and 'conflict of interest' even more mysterious and therefore a prime source of conflict; and it leaves the employee only with that which ABC management does not wish to control. The section "What the ABC expects of its employees" is not matched by any "What employees expect of the ABC".
In summary, the most obvious "Code of Conduct" issues are:
- The need for News & Current Affairs staff to sometimes lead debate;
- A hostile and distrustful attitude to staff by a management that clearly assumes that it deserves more favourable regard;
- Contradictions and obscurities;
- Duplication with other standards;
- Suppression of the right of ABC staff to express personal views;
- Omissions regarding non-employees, such as contract commentators, doing work for the ABC;
- Omissions regarding employees working as ABC labour hire for other organisations;
- that the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance Code of Ethics already applies to journalists at the ABC.
Of course, while some of the above difficulties may arise from managers on a power trip, much of the driving force for greater control comes from a desire by management to avoid being attacked by the Howard Government.
There were the infamous 68 complaints by the former Minister, Senator Alston, alleging an anti-war bias by AM. There is still the complaint from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Downer, with regard to the screening of the documentary The Third World War. There is the threat looming from the Review of the ABC that was enthusiastically promised by the Coalition during the last election.
All but one member of the ABC Board were appointed by the Howard Government, and all too often give the impression of being beholden to it.
Nevertheless, although the continuing funding restrictions must ultimately further damage the ABC, in many respects the ABC is doing surprisingly well. Kath & Kim have made it to no.4 in the National Top Ten TV Programmes. triple j has become 30 years old this month. We the Friends of the ABC want such successes to continue.