The ABC of misinformation coming to a library near you

Russiagate

The three-part Four Cornersspecial series titled "Trump/Russia", reported by Sarah Ferguson and originally broadcast in June 2018, which was found to be bogus.

The ABC continues to host the episodes, video clips, and complete transcripts on the ABC News website and ABC iview, and has never issued an official retraction, correction, or apology. The series concluded with a heavily criticized segment stating: "The Kremlin's puppet master now has America dancing to his discordant tune. He couldn't have planned it better," accompanied by dramatic music fading into a portrait of Vladimir Putin. The fundamental premise - that Trump won the 2016 election due to direct collusion with the Kremlin - was heavily undermined by subsequent official US investigations.

Fueling hostility against Australian Jews

Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, testified to the current Bondi Royal Commission that there is a "common and pervasive perception" within the Jewish community that the ABC's coverage of the Israel-Gaza war lacks balance. She stated the reporting repeatedly conflates Jewish identity with the actions of the Israeli state, painting Israel in a "constant negative light" and inadvertently fueling domestic hostility toward Australian Jews.

Disproportionate coverage of Gaza

The Special Envoy accused the ABCof heavily overemphasizing the conflict in Gaza at the expense of other major global events, such as active wars in Africa. Critics claimed the coverage gives a disproportionate voice to anti-Israel perspectives.

On the other hand, ABC Editorial Director Gavin Fang has rejected claims the broadcaster's journalism has contributed to antisemitism or social division. He stated that the network's reporting remains strictly evidence-based, fair, and impartial. (Yeah, right!)

Those are just a few major examples of misinformation but there was also the spectacle of the ABC using taxpayer funds in 2021 to cover approximately $200,000 in damages and legal costs after presenter Louise Milligan was personally sued for defamation over posts she made on her private Twitter account involving former Liberal MP Andrew Laming. This incident sparked immense political backlash, an Auditor-General review, and accusations of a double standard in how the broadcaster handles staff social media blunders.

That's enough background on the national "impartial" broadcaster, but what of its fellow misinformation workshop presenter? Western Sydney University has faced several high-profile incidents involving student activism, police intervention, and academic friction.

The student general meeting (SGM)

Activist group WSU 4 Palestine Collective led the largest pro-Palestine actions in the university's historyat the Parramatta South campus. Students voted heavily in favor of a Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) motion, demanding WSU sever research ties with companies linked to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Unlike some universities that tolerated long-term encampments, WSU management did take a strict approach. Protests led to WSU inviting NSW Police onto campusto dismantle unsanctioned demonstrations, resulting in student arrests and suspensions. But this triggered an open letter signed by academics condemning the university for "police brutality" and suppressing free speech.

In light of all the above, I won't be enrolling for any of the workshops at our local council-owned libraries, but its reach goes far beyond our beautiful Sunshine Coast tourism hotspot and final destination for thousands of re-locating southerners.

The sessions are currently touring local council branches nationwide, utilizing video segments from the ABC's own documentary series The Matter of Facts to teach citizens how to identify AI-generated content, fake news, and bias. (Hence my almost choking on my coffee).

The workshop positions the ABC as an authoritative arbiter of truth, at a time when the broadcaster's own internal editorial slip-ups have made it a central subject of controversy. Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society is also sharing academic data on "how misinformation drives social division and hate speech." Meanwhile, its executives have had to defend the institution at federal human rights inquiries regarding the handling of campus activism and its response to antisemitism.

When the workshops content is curated by a single media network and one academic institution, it obviously raises the question of whether they will provide an objective analysis or function as a mass left-wing public relations indoctrination exercise.

Pardon my cynicism, but I think I know the answer.