‘Racism is systemic at the ABC,’ report finds

“We need to do better”: ABC’s managing director has apologised to the national broadcaster’s current and former employees who have experienced racism, following the release of a scathing report into its workplace culture.

Report’s findings

In May of last year, the national broadcaster announced an independent review into its systems and processes, following public discussion and comments about racist behaviour at the ABC – most notably the resignation of journalist Stan Grant – and how the organisation responds to acts of racism from within and outside the organisation.

That review was undertaken by Wuthathi, Yadhaighana and Meriam woman Dr Terri Janke, the solicitor director of Terri Janke and Company, who has now unveiled the Listen Loudly, Act Strongly report, which was informed by interviews with 120 current and former ABC staff, including people who are First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), and Allies, to hear their perspectives and stories.

Only one participant in that cohort of 120, the Janke review outlined, described not experiencing racism in the workplace personally, but had been aware of racism occurring at the ABC.

“This response overwhelmingly indicates that racism exists within the ABC workplace, and that ABC staff are subjected to racism from external individuals and organisations in connection with their work,” it said.

Instances of overt racism (including racial slurs and mistaking someone for a more junior worker based on racial appearance) and covert racism (such as stereotyping and not being considered sufficiently impartial to report on a cultural group because one was perceived to be from that same group) were reported as experiences of ABC staff.

“This suggests racism is systemic at the ABC – the ABC’s policies and practices disadvantage people who are First Nations and CALD in these areas,” the Janke review said.

“The majority of participants expressed significant hurt, helplessness, and exhaustion around their experiences in the workplace. These experiences present barriers to staff for career progression. Cumulatively, these experiences have a profound impact on the self-esteem, and sense of self-worth for participants. This impacts entire lives – not just in the workplace.”

The complaints processes were also found to be lacking, with participants noting they were not aware of what systems were available or how to access them, as well as having a fear of not being believed and a lack of trust that meaningful action would be taken.

“Participants described this firsthand, or observed others experiencing these outcomes. This reinforces distrust in ABC systems.”

Elsewhere, participants noted the impact of external attacks they experienced from the public, the media, and external individuals.

“The online environment exposes people in the public eye to inflammatory comments and personal attacks. Whilst the ABC moderates online forums it manages, and responds to media criticism, people who are First Nations and CALD stated there was a lack of consistency, which left many of them feeling abandoned and vulnerable. Some participants expressed they felt supported by their direct managers when these attacks occurred, but that this was ad hoc rather than systemic,” the Janke review said.

Participants expressed a strong commitment and dedication to the ABC, the review added.

“While this commitment is reassuring, there are ongoing psychosocial hazards in the ABC that require immediate action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all staff,” it said.

“Some participants highlighted the changes the ABC has made in a positive direction. However, many also expressed the need for long-term systemic change.”

Recommendations and response

The Janke review has made 15 recommendations for the national broadcaster, including but not limited to that the ABC:

• Commit to being proactively anti-racist.
• Enhance understanding of how lived experience shapes storytelling.
• Improve its responses to public attacks.
• Revise and improve the complaints framework.
• Create culturally safe support systems.
• Improve diverse representation in ABC management and leadership.

In a statement from the national broadcaster, ABC managing director David Anderson issued an apology to any current or former employee who has experienced racism.

He also committed the ABC to accept, in principle, all 15 recommendations and advised that former Australian race discrimination commissioner Chin Tan has been engaged to continue this work.

Furthermore, the ABC is taking additional steps, including, but not limited to, establishing formal reviews of its recruitment, complaints, career progression and exit processes and creating a new director of First Nations strategy role to sit within the leadership team.

Reflections from ABC leadership

Anderson has told ABC staff that the testimonies provided to Janke were disturbing and the details of racist behaviour were unacceptable to the national broadcaster.

“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,” he told staff.

“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.”

As an organisation, Anderson continued in a statement, the national broadcaster must learn from the experiences in the report and commit to work together to do better and rebuild the trust that has been “eroded by the actions of some people”.

“For anyone who thinks it is OK to display or practise racist behaviour, or who thinks they can make people feel belittled based on their identity, we will call you out and remove you from this organisation. You are not welcome here. We are a workplace that values respect, and we expect it,” he said.

ABC Bonner Committee chair Dan Bouchier 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.”

He added: “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.”