Response to Gerard Henderson's bias claims 6 June 2002
Evidence is against bias in the ABC
Once again Gerard Henderson (Opinion, 4/6) claims that the ABC is biased. He accuses ABC chairman Donald McDonald of being unaware of this, but nowhere in 1000 words of argument does he produce any evidence.
If the Prime Minster's friend doesn't think there's a major bias problem, if the man appointed by the Prime Minister to review the ABC, Bob Mansfield (The Age, 27/1/97), found no evidence of bias, could it be that there is no evidence?
Henderson dismisses out of hand the report of the Australian National Audit Office, published this year, that "the ABC's approach to the control of standards of political and electoral broadcast matters was robust and effective". But a survey commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Authority, conducted by Bond University, revealed last year that ABC news topped the list as the most credible news and current affairs program, column or Internet site.
The Age (20/3/2000) reported John Stirton of AC Neilsen as saying his research indicated that 70 per cent of Australians believe that ABC coverage of news and current affairs is more balanced than that provided by the commercial networks. And Newspoll (February 2001) found that 80 per cent of Coalition voters thought the ABC was doing a good job with news and entertainment.
Darce Cassidy
National Spokesperson
Friends of the ABC