ABC chief says Stan Grant unfairly attacked by the Australian in story about ‘altercation’ with colleague | Australian Broadcasting Company

Racism in a digital age

David Anderson says the story, about an incident in ABC headquarters, was an inner matter and ‘not within the public curiosity’

Thu 31 Aug 2023 07.46 BST

The managing director of the ABC, David Anderson, has defended Stan Grant from what he says was an “unfair assault” revealed on the entrance web page of the Australian that was “not within the public curiosity”.

The article within the Murdoch broadsheet on Tuesday mentioned ABC administration had investigated what it claimed was a “public bullying incident” involving Grant and a senior ABC colleague within the lobby of the ABC’s Sydney headquarters.

“I’m glad to defend Stan proper now,” Anderson mentioned on ABC Melbourne radio in response to a query from Virginia Trioli. “He must be judged on his journalism; he must be judged on his contribution to Australian media.

“I can’t management what the Australian writes; I can disagree with what they write and their focus.”

Grant informed Guardian Australia on Tuesday that the story was an “outrageous slur” which was a part of a sample of abuse from the Murdoch press and the ABC ought to have rushed to his defence. “All I do know is that if anyone in these circumstances had been smeared in a paper in a disgraceful method, I’d be selecting up the cellphone to each radio station and howling down the cellphone,” Grant mentioned.

The Guardian understands the ABC didn’t subject a press release concerning the article as a result of the 2 events concerned couldn’t agree on a type of phrases concerning the January incident.

No formal grievance was made by the opposite ABC employees member, however it’s understood they had been distressed by the confrontation through which Grant swore at them and stay upset. Grant informed the Guardian that he “misplaced it” with the colleague and later mentioned he “ought to have behaved higher.”

Two days after the article appeared, Anderson mentioned he agrees with Grant that the story “about an altercation within the Ultimo lobby” was an inner matter involving two employees members. He agreed that the Indigenous journalist and writer was subjected to unfair consideration within the press.

“I don’t see it as being within the public curiosity,” Anderson mentioned. “Nor do I believe it must be one thing that everybody is speaking about. I believe that it’s an inner matter and must be handled as such.”

The Australian has been approached for remark.

Anderson apologised once more for not supporting the previous host of Q+A after racist assaults within the wake of the king’s coronation protection pressured him to step down from internet hosting this system.

Grant characterised the Ultimo incident, in a publish on LinkedIn, as an “unlucky disagreement with a revered colleague”.

“This incident was resolved and no discovering or sanction in opposition to any get together”.

“I used to be deep in dialog within the ABC lobby with a buddy and colleague who was consoling me over the sudden demise of my niece 24 hours earlier,” Grant wrote.

“I had additionally simply returned from caring for my aged ailing father. I used to be in an emotionally fragile state … Issues escalated in a method they need to not and issues had been mentioned that weren’t acceptable. I settle for duty for this. I ought to have behaved higher.”

He reserved his harshest phrases for his former employer. “The ABC sometimes has failed to inform the reality,” he mentioned. “As an alternative it’s hiding behind forms. The ABC crafted a press release which I rejected. I consider the reality is extra vital.”

Final week Grant introduced he had walked away from the ABC and the media after 4 a long time as a result of he needs to vary the poisonous international information tradition by engaged on one thing constructive.

“I’ll be figuring out of Monash College in a twin function as professor of journalism and director of the Constructive Institute,” Grant informed Guardian Australia.

“I believe I’ve one thing to show individuals about this. I’ve been within the crosshairs of the worst of our cultural pile-ons. And I believe we are able to all be taught, together with me, we are able to all discover ways to do that higher.”

Anderson was interviewed by Trioli after she introduced she can be leaving ABC Radio after 4 years internet hosting Melbourne’s morning present to entrance a prime-time TV arts program.