The ABC’s recently released “Listen Loudly, Act Strongly” independent review report has exposed racism within the public broadcaster.
ABC Managing Director David Anderson responded to the report, saying “on behalf of everyone at the ABC, I am sorry for any and all racist behaviour and past harms experienced by our Indigenous and CALD employees, either currently or formerly employed.”
The report made 15 key recommendations, which Anderson claims the ABC will accept in entirety.
The 171-page review was called for by the Bonner Committee, who had an advisory role.
Bonner Committee Chair Dan Bouchier said that “The ABC’s First Nations and CALD [culturally and linguistically diverse] staff need this to be acted on across the organisation.”
“The Australian people expect more from the ABC,” Bouchier continued, “to ensure it remains the important institution it is.”
The report follows the high-profile resignation of Stan Grant, who left the ABC in May 2023 after racist attacks relating to his coverage of King Charles’ coronation.
It was supported by the Diversity Advocates Network, and was received as a “watershed moment” by the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA).
MEAA Acting Director Michelle Rae stated that “Media organisations no longer have any excuses to stonewall on demands from their staff to ensure their workplaces are culturally safe.”
“The ABC’s experience shows that even the best of intentions will be tokenistic if accountability, transparency and clear process and training are not implemented,” Rae said.
The review spoke to 120 participants, including current and former ABC staff. Only one participant involved reported “not experiencing racism in the workplace personally.”
The types of racism listed were both overt and covert, including slurs, racial profiling, microaggressions, and exclusion from activities and opportunities.
“Participants explicitly noted the presence of structural or systemic racism and unconscious bias,” the report reads.
“They noted that this is particularly prominent across recruitment processes, access to opportunities and career progression, support, mentoring and in how grievances are handled.”
The ABC’s complaint process was identified as a key structural weakness by the report.
The report found that staff had distrust or lack of awareness of support systems, as well as fear that their career would suffer if they complained.
“It feels like complaints don’t go anywhere and there is no accountability, or if there is, it isn’t communicated to us down the ladder,” said one participant in the report.
“Bad managers are managed up or across,” the participant continued. “The organisation acts like everything is too difficult instead of being dynamic and responsive to staff and audience needs.”
The report’s recommendations included making the entire body of staff read the report and actively committing as an organisation to being anti-racist.
The report also recommended improving support systems and complaint procedures, alongside increasing First Nations and CALD representation and greater general cultural awareness among non-CALD staff.
Reconciliation Australia responded to the review, saying that “Dr Janke’s review, and the ABC’s acceptance of the recommendations in principle, is a model for the entire media industry.”
“Australian media organisations must reject racism towards, and harmful stereotypes of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Reconciliation Australia said.
The Australian Reconciliation Barometer, a report conducted by Reconciliation Australia in 2018, 2020 and 2022, found that the proportion of First Nations people surveyed who had experienced racism had increased in the time between reports.
60% of respondents reported in 2022 that they had experienced racism in the past six months.
“The 2022 ARB responses suggest that ABC staff are not alone in experiencing racism,” Reconciliation Australia stated, “Dr Janke’s review should be a wakeup call for all Australian workplaces to address racism.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has responded to the review, saying that “it is incumbent on all organisations to address racism ensuring staff are safe at work and the ABC acknowledges it must confront uncomfortable truths if they want real change.
“This is an important piece of work for the organisation and I expect Dr Janke’s recommendations will contribute to a more diverse and inclusive national broadcaster,” Rowland continued.
The independent review was conducted by Terry Janke and Company Pty Ltd, an Indigenous law firm.
