Michelle Guthrie smears critics of ABC bias but does not answer

ABC boss Michelle Guthrie gave a remarkable speech in which she attacked government plans to change the ABC Act.

For an example of ABC bias and group-think, check the ABC’s pack-attack on Labor MP Michael Danby.

Here’s Gerard Henderson:

It was a real pile-on at ABC TV News Breakfast this morning after ABC Insiders presenter Barrie Cassidy gave Michael Danby (the Labor MP for Melbourne Ports) his Wooden Spoon Award. Mr Cassidy objected to the fact that Mr Danby had used his electoral allowance to fund an advertisement in the Australian Jewish News critical of ABC journalist Sophie McNeill’s reportage from the Middle East.

Soon after, the News Breakfast presenters joined in the chorus. ABC presenter Virginia Trioli declared: “For the record, we regard Sophie McNeill as a stellar journalist…she’s unflinching, she’s brave, she’s compassionate and she’s very smart”. Then ABC presenter Hamish Macdonald weighed-in that Sophie McNeill not only “knows the beat” but also that “she’s a very old friend of mine”. How nice….

Sophie McNeill, Michael Danby’s essential criticism remains true. In recent times, Ms McNeill gave more coverage to the fact that Palestinian Shamasneh family had been evicted from their home in East Jerusalem than it did to the fact that three members of the Jewish Solomon family were murdered by Islamists during a family meal in the Occupied Territories. Moreover, Sophie McNeil named the name of the Palestinian family but not that of the Jewish family.

This was a reasonable criticism for Michael Danby to make. And it was reasonable for ABC management to defend its reporter. It’s called debate…

ABC journalists invariably criticise others. But the likes of Virginia Trioli get oh-so-offended when someone criticises the ABC or its coverage.

Read the full article in Andrew Bolt’s blog.