{"id":2173,"date":"2013-03-08T13:35:51","date_gmt":"2013-03-08T02:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com\/?p=2173"},"modified":"2019-04-13T23:24:20","modified_gmt":"2019-04-13T13:24:20","slug":"conroy-demands-abc-transparency-after-second-pro-coalition-slap-down-of-strong-journalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/conroy-demands-abc-transparency-after-second-pro-coalition-slap-down-of-strong-journalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Conroy demands ABC transparency after second pro-Coalition slap down of strong journalism"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Nick

Nick Ross – ABC Technology & Games Editor<\/p><\/div>\n

By Peter Clarke<\/a>
\nMarch 7, 2013<\/p>\n

The Federal Communications Minister, Victorian Senator, Stephen Conroy, has accused the ABC of \u00a0a ‘lack of transparency and fairness’ over its reported disciplining of its online technology writer Nick Ross, who has written extensively about the NBN.<\/p>\n

The minister\u2019s allegations, made to Jon Faine on Melbourne ABC radio this morning, echo much of the commentary around the ABC\u2019s recent negative finding of ‘bias. against Faine himself:<\/p>\n

‘Now this cannot go on. These internal procedures of the ABC have to be more open and more transparent. Journalists cannot work on a basis that they’re going to be bullied and intimidated, and have complaints lodged against them in a process that is not transparent and open.’<\/p>\n

Senator Conroy also accused his opposition counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull, of ‘constantly attacking and trying to bully some of your journalists’.<\/p>\n

Conroy was responding to a report in today\u2019s Australian<\/i> Media section<\/a>. It stated that in relation to NBN stories, an ABC spokeswoman said Ross had ‘been reminded of the need to ensure that his work in this area is in keeping with ABC policies’.<\/p>\n

That report quoted from an opinion piece in the same edition of the newspaper by Kevin Morgan under the headline: ABC’s man leaves objectivity on the cutting-room floor to spruik NBN<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Morgan is an ‘independent telecom consultant’ and served on Kim Beazley\u2019s ministerial committee on telecom reform.<\/p>\n

Nick Ross, tweeting under @ABCTech has denied being reprimanded or disciplined but has so far been silent when approached to clarify the actual circumstances.<\/p>\n

\n

The Australian has a piece on me on page 3 today saying that I've been disciplined by the ABC. I haven't.<\/p>\n

— Nick Ross (@NickRossTech) March 7, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n