Broadcaster Integrity and Accountability – ABC
Dear Australian Broadcasting Corporation,
I am seeking access to any documents, correspondence, briefing notes, meeting minutes, or internal communications created or held by the [ABC/SBS] between 1 October 2024 and the present which relate to:
The recent British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) admission of misleadingly edited footage of Donald J. Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech in its Panorama documentary, including any internal discussion within the [ABC/SBS] regarding the accuracy, implications, or potential editorial parallels of this incident;
Any internal reviews, audits, or communications concerning the accuracy or editing of political coverage produced or broadcast by the [ABC/SBS] involving footage or commentary about Donald Trump, the January 6 Capitol events, or U.S. election coverage;
Any documents referencing or resulting from the Heston Russell v ABC (2023) Federal Court decision, specifically in relation to editorial standards, verification, or policy reform measures undertaken or discussed within the organisation after theruling;
Any policy documents, directives, or internal communications outlining how the [ABC/SBS] ensures impartiality, accuracy, and verification of foreign-sourced material (such as BBC or CNN footage) before it is rebroadcast or edited for Australian audiences.
I make this request in the public interest, to promote transparency and confidence in the editorial integrity of publicly funded broadcasters.
Yours sincerely,
Brian
ABC FOI 202526-068
Brian
Kindly confirm if the below request is directed solely at the ABC? If so, could you please resend the scope to remove references to the SBS. If you are seeking documents held by the Special Broadcasting Service, you will need to contact them directly with a separate request. This will avoid the need for the ABC to transfer this request in part, under the Commonwealth FOI Act.
Grateful if you would clarify this aspect and we will send a formal acknowledgment after hearing from you by email.
ABC FOI team
13 9994
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Good afternoon Brian
ABC FOI 202526-068
Attached is the ABC’s Notice about your freedom of information request.
Many thanks,
ABC FOI team
13 9994
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Dear FOI ABC,
Thank you for your detailed reply to my FOI Request.
I wish to revise my request to narrow scope under s 24AB.
I seek access to the five most recent emails or written communications created between 1 October 2024 and 30 November 2025 held by the following ABC roles:
Director of News
Editorial Director
which refer to:
• the BBC admission concerning edited footage of Donald J. Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech used in a Panorama documentary;
• any internal consideration of reputational risk, audience trust, or editorial standards arising from public reporting on that BBC incident.
This revised request excludes program production material, editorial decision-making documents, and content creation records.
Yours sincerely,
Brian
ABC FOI 202526-068
Good afternoon Brian
Thank you for your email of 13 January below. We appreciate you proposing a revised scope.
Procedurally, your file was closed as deemed withdrawn when the consultation period lapsed in late December 2025, see page 5 and 6 of the Notice. We are unable to reopen it as it is now procedurally closed under the FOI Act.
Would you be happy to send a new and separate email with the smaller scope and we can open that request as a new file, with a different file number. We will respond to that email and advise the new due date for the scope you have stated below on 13 January.
Many thanks,
ABC FOI team
13 9994
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians
and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
This email, including any attachments, is intended only for the addressee. It is confidential and may contain privileged information. You should not read, copy, use or disclose it, or take any other action in reliance of the information contained in this email, without authorisation. If you have received the email in error, please immediately let the sender know by separate email or telephone and delete the email from your system.