ABC’s Four Corners Breach Under Fire

ABC’s Four Corners Program Faces Scrutiny Over Accuracy and Impartiality

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has been reprimanded by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) following an investigation into a 2024 episode of its flagship investigative program, Four Corners. The ACMA’s findings indicate that the episode, titled “Water Grab,” contravened the network’s own code of practice concerning accuracy and impartiality.

The program, first broadcast in August 2024, raised serious allegations regarding a Northern Territory pastoral station. Specifically, “Water Grab” suggested that the station had engaged in illegal land clearing using fire to prepare land for cotton production.

However, the ACMA’s probe concluded that the ABC lacked sufficient evidence to substantiate this particular claim. The authority determined that the broadcaster had not taken adequate steps to verify these assertions before airing them, thereby failing to uphold its editorial standards.

ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin emphasised the importance of due diligence in reporting such sensitive matters. “The ABC should have stopped to consider whether it had sufficient supporting evidence to include the statement about the fire,” O’Loughlin stated. She further elaborated, “This type of assertion can have a significant adverse effect on the reputations of those involved, so reasonable efforts must be made to ensure any claims are accurate and presented in context.”

The regulator underscored the public’s expectation of rigorous, fair, and factual reporting, particularly on complex and contentious public issues. “Our view is that parts of the program did not meet the ABC’s own standards for accuracy and impartiality,” the ACMA declared.

Beyond the specific allegation of illegal land clearing, the investigation also found that the “Water Grab” episode failed to present a sufficiently broad range of relevant viewpoints on its subject matter. This deficiency contributed to the overall finding of a lack of impartiality. It is noteworthy that this particular episode had already been the subject of three complaints lodged with the Ombudsman’s Office prior to the ACMA’s investigation.

ABC’s Response and Corrective Actions

In the wake of the ACMA’s published findings, the ABC has taken steps to address the identified issues. The network has updated its website, adding a revised editor’s note to the program’s page and publishing a clarification on its dedicated corrections and clarifications section.

A spokesperson for the ABC provided context regarding the “Water Grab” report. “The Four Corners report Water Grab investigated the use of water in the Northern Territory, in particular for irrigation, including for cotton growing. The story went to air in August 2024,” the spokesperson explained.

The report aimed to delve into critical questions surrounding the agricultural industry’s water extraction practices. “The program examined important questions around whether unsustainable volumes of water were being extracted from aquifers by the agricultural industry, affecting groundwater levels,” the spokesperson added.

The ABC acknowledged the ACMA’s findings of two breaches: one related to impartiality and another to accuracy.

Regarding the impartiality finding, the ABC spokesperson clarified that it pertained to the Northern Territory government regulator’s response concerning water quality in Elsey Creek. “The ABC acknowledged this at the time and the ABC Ombudsman also found a breach. An editor’s note was added in October 2024,” the spokesperson stated. The ABC team had received the regulator’s response shortly before the broadcast. Despite receiving scientific advice that the information did not materially alter the story’s core narrative, the ABC conceded that the regulator’s perspective should have been included.

Concerning the accuracy finding, the ACMA focused on the statement, “the burning off has already begun.” The authority concluded that this phrasing implied illegal land clearing at Claravale Station. While the ACMA acknowledged that the Four Corners team had attempted to seek comment from the landholders, who did not provide a response, the regulator maintained that “the ABC should have done more to establish that the fire constituted illegal land clearing if it was going to include the relevant statement in the program.”

The ABC has accepted this criticism. “The ABC accepts the line in the program relating to the Claravale fire should have been qualified,” the spokesperson concluded. This admission highlights the ABC’s commitment to rectifying errors and upholding the high journalistic standards expected of its investigative journalism.