Subhead:If it feels like there’s a little less fake news from the Australian media today, it’s not your imagination.#
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Thousands of staff at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation have gone on strike from 11am after negotiations over a new enterprise agreement broke down, marking one of the most significant industrial actions at the broadcaster in decades.
ABC staff rejected a pay offer that included a 10 per cent increase over three years and a $1,000 signing bonus. Instead, employees are demanding more — more money, more conditions, more entitlements — all ultimately funded by the Australian taxpayer.
But the timing and tone of the strike have only added fuel to a long-running debate: why is a publicly funded broadcaster behaving like a political activist organisation while simultaneously demanding more public money?
The ABC has faced repeated scrutiny over its editorial standards in recent years. In one of the most widely criticised incidents, an internal review found the broadcaster had aired modified audio in a defence-related report, including added gunshot sounds that were not present in the original footage. The ABC later apologised, but the damage to trust was already done.
