Alan Sunderland is a former editorial director of the ABC. He is currently an independent journalist member of the Australian Press Council.
The ABC does not have the luxury of defiantly ignoring accusations of bias, but this News Corp initiated pile-on is absurd.
The best journalists know that when things are not equal - when one side lies, misleads or refuses to engage - then balance is no longer a useful tool.
Ita Buttrose was among many “captain’s picks” for ABC chair. She was a good pick, but next time the prime minister should leave it to an independent panel.
Australia’s diverse news media do not answer to a single regulator. There’s a model we could follow that would boost faith in journalism.