ABC review uncovers ‘systemic’ racism towards staff
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The news: A third-party review of the processes and systems in place at the ABC has uncovered “systemic” racism at the public broadcaster, roughly 18 months after it was commissioned.
The context: The review was commissioned by outgoing managing director David Anderson in May 2023 in response to calls from the broadcaster’s Bonner Committee. It is built upon interviews with 120 current and former ABC staff.
The review was led by Indigenous lawyer Dr Terri Janke, a Wuthathi, Yadhaighana and Meriam woman, and made 15 recommendations to ABC leadership, after uncovering instances of overt and covert racism experienced by staff both in the workplace and from external actors.
Staff reported being subject to racial slurs and derogatory and offensive comments about a person’s appearance and cultural practice, as well as being excluded from workplace opportunities or social events as a result of their cultural or linguistic backgrounds. Staff also reported being mistaken for someone more junior based on their racial appearance.
Covert racism reported by staff throughout the review included various forms of stereotyping and unconscious bias. The review also found staff were not considered to be impartial in their reporting on a cultural group because they were perceived to be from that cultural group.
Among the 15 recommendations were for all staff at the ABC, including the board, managing director and senior leadership team, to read the report in full and listen deeply to the grievances of First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse staff.
It also called on the ABC to commit to being proactively anti-racist, including by formulating a comprehensive anti-racism policy, and by enhancing the ABC’s understanding of how lived experience shapes story-telling.
The review also recommended the ABC improve the way it responds to public attacks, including by establishing a new policy, and that it improve diversity on its senior management and leadership teams. Other recommendations included organisation-wide cultural training; an improved complaints framework; culturally safe support systems, and improved recruitment processes and pathways for people from First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
The ABC announced, alongside the release of the review’s findings, that it would begin work on specific anti-racism training with staff, to be led by the newly created role of director first nations strategy, who will report to the managing director.
What they said: “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,” Anderson told staff on Tuesday.
“We all need to do better for our colleagues on our commitment to zero tolerance for racism in our workplace. We all need to do better for our colleagues by preventing or acting on behaviour that seeks to discriminate against, bully or demean them.
“We all need to do better for our colleagues by remaining vigilant against racism or discrimination of any kind in our workplace.”
Dan Bouchier, chair of the ABC Bonner Committee, said: “Thank you to David Anderson for the courage to listen deeply and launch this review, and releasing Listen Loudly, Act Strongly today, and thanks to David and the board for committing to implementing all recommendations.
“Dr Terri Janke and her team took great care in conducting this review — thank you.
“We are especially grateful to everyone who bravely shared their experiences, as well as what they saw as solutions to make the ABC stronger.
“I’m inspired to see Kelly Williams as the inaugural director first nations strategy — and fully support her. We all back Kelly in the important work ahead, as she continues to build on the significant change she has already accomplished.
“I asked David to call for this review because it was clear there were big challenges. This report is a turning point and seeks to strengthen and reform the ABC.
“It’s a line in the sand — we need to do better.
“The ABC’s First Nations and CALD staff need this to be acted on across the organisation, and the Australian people expect more from the ABC, to ensure it remains the important institution it is.
“This review exposes the depth of the problems. To achieve the crucial work of Listen Loudly, Act Strongly will require the entire ABC to work to embed meaningful change.”
The sources: ABC racism review, ABC press release
