The ABC will pull out of partnerships with a range of organisations that encourage good practices in diversity, equality and inclusion.
In an email to staff, the national broadcaster said it was severing ties with the Australian Disability Network, the Diversity Council of Australia and ACON’s Pride in Diversity program, which promotes the removal of discrimination faced by LGBTIQA+ employees.
The broadcaster’s involvement in these initiatives has been criticised by conservative politicians and anti‑transgender lobby groups, who have suggested the partnerships could lead to editorial bias. The issue was also previously raised by the ABC’s own program Media Watch, with then‑host Paul Barry saying even the suggestion of bias should be avoided.
The move to end the partnerships was revealed by The Guardian in an exclusive report. The ABC said it was reviewing other partnerships that might also be discontinued. In a statement to The Guardian, the broadcaster said its investigation had not found any evidence that editorial independence or impartiality had been compromised.
The ABC will now set up in‑house initiatives to ensure that inclusion and diversity are maintained across its operations.
ACON said it had never sought to influence editorial coverage and would continue to work with a wide range of businesses across Australia committed to improving diversity, equality and inclusion.
“We do not seek to, nor do we have, any influence over the way media outlets who are members of Pride in Diversity report issues, including the ABC,” the statement said.
“We will continue to offer our services to employers to advance their diversity, inclusion and belonging goals in their workplaces,” an ACON spokesperson said.
The broadcaster has previously been accused of not providing sufficient coverage of issues surrounding transgender health‑care debates and court cases, including the Cass Review into the medical treatment of transgender youth in the UK, and the case of British woman Keira Bell, who took legal action after deciding to detransition.
The recent Inclusion@Work Index published by the Diversity Council revealed that 46% of LGBTIQ+ workers reported experiencing discrimination and/or harassment at work in the past year, compared with 26% of non‑LGBTIQ+ workers. This means LGBTIQ+ workers were 1.5 times more likely to experience these behaviours.
The report also showed that discrimination against LGBTIQA+ people in Australian workplaces has been increasing in recent years.
The move follows the United States government aggressively removing any programs that mentioned diversity, inclusion or equality under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
