ABC and SBS to appear at antisemitism royal commission

Representatives from the ABC and SBS will be called as witnesses to the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion after complaints about their coverage of the Middle East. Counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC said some submissions to the commission are “highly critical”, and noted the broadcasters’ statutes, charters and policies commit them to high standards of accuracy, impartiality and balance.

There are complaints that the ABC and the SBS have produced coverage that is inaccurate or unbalanced, both in their selection of stories and focus and in the reportage that they produce. The special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, will be called to speak on those concerns, and witnesses from the public broadcasters themselves will be asked to explain the approach taken to reporting the conflict.

An SBS spokesperson said it was “engaging with the royal commission process, including by providing written submissions”.

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