Broadcaster’s chairman also reportedly referred to Michelle Guthrie as ‘the missus’
The ABC chairman, Justin Milne, regularly spoke to executives,
including the corporation’s news director, Gaven Morris, about
contentious stories or content he didn’t approve of, multiple sources
have told Guardian Australia.
Milne, a close friend of the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, behaved more like a managing director than a chairman, sources said, and had strong views about the ABC’s reporting and programming.
“We had an MD who wanted to be chair and a chair who wanted to be MD,” one journalist said.
Another source said: “He would intervene by contacting an executive and, not long after, a formal complaint would come in from minister’s office.
“He also referred to former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie as ‘the missus’.”
Milne is under growing pressure following reports on Wednesday morning that he told Guthrie to “get rid of” chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici because the Coalition government “hate her”.
Milne is also said to have called for the Tonightly show to make a full apology after a sketch in which they used the word “cunt” when highlighting the racist past of the grazier John Batman.
The multiple revelations and subsequent turmoil around the chairman have led to calls for his resignation.
The Coalition has asked the secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts to undertake an inquiry into the reports.
Labor and the Greens are also pushing ahead with plans for a Senate inquiry into any potential political interference in the ABC.
The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, described Milne’s position as “untenable” on Wednesday afternoon.
“No political party has the right to interfere like this with the ABC,” Shorten said. “No journalist should be sacked at the request of a political party.”
The communications minister, Mitch Fifield, said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that, following a meeting with the prime minister, he had asked his department secretary to commence an inquiry to “establish the facts” in relation to the day’s media reports.
Fifield said the secretary would report his findings “as soon as possible”.
“It is important for the community to have confidence in the independence of the ABC,” he said.
Angry ABC staff members held protest meetings around the country, with the Sydney and Melbourne headquarters passing motions that called on Milne to step aside pending an investigation.
Guardian Australia understands Milne’s list of complaints were reports on tax policy by Alberici, commentary about ABC Melbourne broadcaster Jon Faine and reports by the ABC’s political editor, Andrew Probyn.
Sources within the news division of the ABC say Milne also approached Guthrie and Morris to push for Probyn to be removed.
It is unclear which reports had prompted Milne’s interventions.
In June the government accused Probyn and other staff of reporting Labor rhetoric about the timing of several byelections as fact. The opposition claimed the date of 28 July was politically motivated.
Probyn also had a finding against him in May 2018 when the Australian Communications and Media Authority ruled that a news report breached the ABC’s code for impartiality because he called Tony Abbott “the most destructive politician of his generation”.
Fifield wrote to Guthrie to make a formal complaint about the ABC’s reporting of the byelection date.
It has also emerged that Milne spoke directly to Triple J management about their recommendation to change the recommendation that Triple J move the Hottest 100 away from Australia Day.
Sources said that, when they did not change their recommendation, Milne called an extraordinary board meeting at which he tried to convince Guthrie and the board to reject the decision.
Guthrie was sacked by the ABC board on Monday.
A former staff-elected director of the ABC board, broadcaster Quentin Dempster, said any concerns the chairman or directors had about the content being broadcast should be raised with the managing director as the editor-in-chief.
“There is a clear chain of command,” Dempster said. “Any direct intervention undermines the chain of command and the procedures set out in the editorial policies. These policies require upward referral to the editor-in-chief for the editorial integrity of the ABC and the protection of the journalists.
“And board directors are free to raise any concerns they have but only to the managing director as editor-in-chief for assessment and any remedial action necessary. That’s what an MD is for: judgment to protect the independence of the ABC.”
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance labelled the reports concerning.
“They would indicate Mr Milne has no understanding of editorial independence, proper complaints handling processes, or the appropriate distance a board chair needs to keep from staffing matters,” it said.
The independent senator Tim Storer said the revelation Milne had asked for Alberici to be sacked was “deeply disturbing”.
“It appears to threaten to threaten the independence of the ABC,” Storer said. “It is entirely appropriate that ABC chairman Justin Milne be required to appear before an open Senate inquiry to answer for his actions.”
Milne, a close friend of the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, behaved more like a managing director than a chairman, sources said, and had strong views about the ABC’s reporting and programming.
“We had an MD who wanted to be chair and a chair who wanted to be MD,” one journalist said.
Another source said: “He would intervene by contacting an executive and, not long after, a formal complaint would come in from minister’s office.
“He also referred to former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie as ‘the missus’.”
Milne is under growing pressure following reports on Wednesday morning that he told Guthrie to “get rid of” chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici because the Coalition government “hate her”.
Milne is also said to have called for the Tonightly show to make a full apology after a sketch in which they used the word “cunt” when highlighting the racist past of the grazier John Batman.
The multiple revelations and subsequent turmoil around the chairman have led to calls for his resignation.
The Coalition has asked the secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts to undertake an inquiry into the reports.
Labor and the Greens are also pushing ahead with plans for a Senate inquiry into any potential political interference in the ABC.
The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, described Milne’s position as “untenable” on Wednesday afternoon.
“No political party has the right to interfere like this with the ABC,” Shorten said. “No journalist should be sacked at the request of a political party.”
The communications minister, Mitch Fifield, said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that, following a meeting with the prime minister, he had asked his department secretary to commence an inquiry to “establish the facts” in relation to the day’s media reports.
Fifield said the secretary would report his findings “as soon as possible”.
“It is important for the community to have confidence in the independence of the ABC,” he said.
Angry ABC staff members held protest meetings around the country, with the Sydney and Melbourne headquarters passing motions that called on Milne to step aside pending an investigation.
Guardian Australia understands Milne’s list of complaints were reports on tax policy by Alberici, commentary about ABC Melbourne broadcaster Jon Faine and reports by the ABC’s political editor, Andrew Probyn.
Sources within the news division of the ABC say Milne also approached Guthrie and Morris to push for Probyn to be removed.
It is unclear which reports had prompted Milne’s interventions.
In June the government accused Probyn and other staff of reporting Labor rhetoric about the timing of several byelections as fact. The opposition claimed the date of 28 July was politically motivated.
Probyn also had a finding against him in May 2018 when the Australian Communications and Media Authority ruled that a news report breached the ABC’s code for impartiality because he called Tony Abbott “the most destructive politician of his generation”.
Fifield wrote to Guthrie to make a formal complaint about the ABC’s reporting of the byelection date.
It has also emerged that Milne spoke directly to Triple J management about their recommendation to change the recommendation that Triple J move the Hottest 100 away from Australia Day.
Sources said that, when they did not change their recommendation, Milne called an extraordinary board meeting at which he tried to convince Guthrie and the board to reject the decision.
Guthrie was sacked by the ABC board on Monday.
A former staff-elected director of the ABC board, broadcaster Quentin Dempster, said any concerns the chairman or directors had about the content being broadcast should be raised with the managing director as the editor-in-chief.
“There is a clear chain of command,” Dempster said. “Any direct intervention undermines the chain of command and the procedures set out in the editorial policies. These policies require upward referral to the editor-in-chief for the editorial integrity of the ABC and the protection of the journalists.
“And board directors are free to raise any concerns they have but only to the managing director as editor-in-chief for assessment and any remedial action necessary. That’s what an MD is for: judgment to protect the independence of the ABC.”
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance labelled the reports concerning.
“They would indicate Mr Milne has no understanding of editorial independence, proper complaints handling processes, or the appropriate distance a board chair needs to keep from staffing matters,” it said.
The independent senator Tim Storer said the revelation Milne had asked for Alberici to be sacked was “deeply disturbing”.
“It appears to threaten to threaten the independence of the ABC,” Storer said. “It is entirely appropriate that ABC chairman Justin Milne be required to appear before an open Senate inquiry to answer for his actions.”
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