Exchange of emails between Jeff Briscoe and Samantha Stayner, Manager of ABC local Hobart, regarding statements made on The Drum on 9 June 2023 by Leon Compton:
Dear Mr Cheek,
Complaint – Leon Compton – Public Interest v Safety
I wish to submit a complaint about ABC Hobart editorial policy and the lack of impartiality of journalist Leon Compton.
Over several years ABC have failed to impartially report on the views of elected members, people and groups who advocate for women’s sex based rights.
I am aware that a complaint about Leon Compton’s lack of impartiality and professional conduct was submitted to you last year regarding his interview with then HCC candidate now Cr Louise Elliot.
My specific complaint regards statements made on The Drum on 9 June 2023 by Leon Compton:
As a journalist it’s sometimes hard because you want to air a balance of perspectives but what perspectives are reasonable to air? Particularly those that dress up opposition, particularly in the most recent cases to drag queens or to dealing with trans issues. You ask yourself, are we just dealing with a continuum of those opposed to civil rights or those opposed to homosexuality, those that oppose same sex marriage? Are these people just trying to throw anchors in another march towards a place that society will hopefully be going? So, it’s really challenging to understand what views to air and can be aired safely. Is it better to have no debate at all than to have a debate which might be really damaging for that young gay or young trans person growing up and listening to that as the adults have a fight about something that is often a clash of civilizations or some big battle of faith while there are human ears, young ears, listening to that? And you know feeling that their lives have been shaped.
While Leon in the above statements poses particular questions, the questions he poses expose an inherent bias which has arguably affected his ability to provide fair coverage on the issue of women’s sex based rights v trans rights.
He has used the questions as a device to define the parameters of any discussion he will allow or discussion he wishes to achieve.
It is deeply concerning that Leon cites the issue of safety when it comes to airing views that might hurt trans children yet fails to cite the important journalistic principle ‘in the public interest’. Recently the federal government announced an inquiry into guidelines for pediatric gender medicine yet ABC Tasmania failed to cover this story at all. Was this because it might hurt trans children?
At no other time has the ABC, or any journalist, suggested that just in case a child might be listening to a program concerning their health, the ABC will not run the story. Since when was the issue of ‘safety’ implications to any listeners, defined as a policy directive to journalists at the ABC Tasmania?
Leon’s statements reflect what appears to be ABC policy consistent with the ABC membership of the Australian Workplace Equality Index run by the Aids Council of New South Wales which has effectively captured editorial policy at the ABC nationally.
My concerns about Leon Compton’s lack of impartiality can be best highlighted with his question “Is it better to have no debate at all….”, as it would appear Leon and the Hobart ABC are not allowing any debate on the issues concerning sex based rights and the conflict with trans rights!
In summary, my complaint about Leon Compton’s failure to provide fair and impartial reporting raises some serious questions about Leon Compton’s impartiality and more generally regards ABC Tasmania’s inability to report in the public interest:
1. What is the ABC’s definition of safety and policy on safety with regard to airing a balance of perspectives?
2. WIth regard to ABC policy on safety, how and who makes the decision to air only perspectives that are deemed safe?
3. Is it ABC Tasmania policy to enable journalists to make subjective decisions on what issues they will not allow debate on?
4. Has ABC Tasmania issued a directive to journalists not to air news stories or discussion on issues that it has determined there should be no debate on?
5. What issues other than women’s sex based rights has ABC Tasmania determined it will not cover in news or discussion because of safety issues or because there should be no debate?
I look forward to your reply.
Regards
Jeff Briscoe
Dear Mr Briscoe,
Thank you for your email regarding comments made by Leon Compton on The Drum (9 June 2023).
The Drum was an ABC News program that is no longer in production. I am the editorial and people manager for ABC Radio Hobart and Leon reports to me, and therefore Marcus Cheek has forwarded me your email.
I’ve reviewed this episode of The Drum and Leon’s comments and disagree that they show “inherent bias”.
In his comments, Leon is asking hypothetical questions that a journalist may consider when reporting on issues of gender identity, and rights for trans and gender diverse people.
He is explaining that that there is a balance to be struck in ABC editorial coverage between fair and impartial reporting, the presentation of a diversity of perspectives and the need to avoid causing harm and offence – especially through the airing of discriminatory comments and hate speech.
The ABC aims to present, over time, content that addresses a broad range of subjects from a diversity of perspectives. The ABC Editorial Policy standard 4.1 states that journalists will “gather and present news and information with due impartiality”.
ABC Editorial Policies Harm and Offence standards also set out that content likely to cause harm and offence must be editorial justified (standard 7.1) and that content that uses unjustified stereotypes, and discriminatory content that could be interpreted as condoning or encouraging prejudice, should be avoided (standard 7.7).
Journalists and content makers must upward refer decisions about contentious content to a senior manager (standard 1.6). But ABC Editorial Policies are not a directive to journalists to avoid contentious issues and there’s no such policy for staff in Tasmania.
I hope this explains the context for Leon’s comments on The Drum, and the range of ABC policies relevant for content covering gender identity.
Should you be dissatisfied with this response you are able to request a review from the ABC’s Ombudsman’s Office within two (2) weeks from the date of this response by sending an email to [email protected] or by post to Ombudsman’s Office, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC Ultimo Centre, GPO Box 9994, Sydney NSW 2001. Alternatively, you may be able to pursue your complaint with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) www.acma.gov.au. You can find more details about how to request a review here.
Regards,
Samantha Stayner
Manager, ABC Local Hobart