18 April 2025
The Memorial's letter to the Chair of the ABC is now available on the Memorial's website
The Council of the Australian War Memorial complained to the ABC Ombudsman about the Four Corners program, 'Sacrifice', broadcast on 10 March. The Memorial's main complaint was about Four Corners' use of audio of construction at the Memorial, along with vision of its Last Post ceremony. The Ombudsman found that 'the episode did not suggest that construction noise from the development site had disrupted a Last Post ceremony'.
Overall, the Ombudsman concluded, 'The episode did not breach the [ABC's] Editorial Standards on accuracy, impartiality, or fair and honest dealing'.
The ABC's media release (16 April) on the Ombudsman's report said, 'The ABC stands by this piece of public interest journalism by reporter Mark Willacy and the Four Corners team, which brings important issues to the public’s attention. Both the ceremony and the Last Post were presented respectfully and in context.'
The full Ombudsman's report is well worth a thorough read. Defending Country particularly noticed these paragraphs:
Secondly, the complaints contended that those who spoke against the project (or certain aspects of it) were inappropriately selected for participation in the episode. In support of this contention, the complaints made two key claims:
a. Those who spoke against the project were “overused[,] known critics” of the project
In relation to this claim, Four Corners commented:
As for the “critics” who appeared in the program, four of them had held very senior roles at the Memorial.
Steve Gower was, for a long while, the Memorial’s Director. He is also a Vietnam War veteran, a retired Major General in the Australian Army, and, according to the Memorial’s own website, a “first-rate administrator”.
Michael McKernan was the Memorial’s Deputy Director, Peter Stanley [President of Defending Country Memorial Project Inc. DC] was its Principal Historian, and Stewart Mitchell was its Buildings Manager. These three participants have written books about the Memorial and are also featured on the Memorial’s website.
Together, these four participants have a combined 77 years of service at the Memorial. Their expertise is beyond question.
Because of their credentials, as outlined above by Four Corners, and their knowledge of the issues in dispute, as demonstrated in the episode, we consider that these participants were well qualified to provide their perspectives. In any case, the fact that they might have previously spoken in other fora about the same or similar matters, and were therefore “known”, does not disqualify them under the Standards from participating.
The ABC media release criticised a News Limited report, where former NSW Veterans Affairs Minister, David Elliott, said, 'In my mind the ABC has now forfeited the right to cover the Anzac Day March'. The ABC responded: 'It is regrettable that News Corporation ... has attempted to link this editorial issue with the Anzac Day coverage the ABC provides for Australians each year across our platforms'. Another News Limited report; and another (dated 15 April, seen in hard copy); Daily Mail. The construction audio-Last Post video issue particularly upset critics.
The other matters exercising the Memorial were Four Corners' treatment of the Australian National Audit Office audit of the Memorial's Big Build, the balance in the show between the redevelopment destruction and the rejuvenation that would follow, the balance between remarks from supporters and opponents (see above), and the handling of the role of Executive Director, Development, Wayne Hitches (see Part II).
Try for Anzac!
The heading on this article refers to the other output from the Memorial on 16 April: the release of the design of a one-off Canberra Raiders (Rugby League) jersey to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and Australia's campaign on the Kokoda Trail.
The Raiders media release shows three players in their Kokoda motif jerseys standing in front of the Roll of Honour. The jerseys also contain adverts for Club Lime and Toyota Forklifts. Canberra Times story.
The sport-soldiering link has long been an Australian thing, but readers may wonder whether in this case there has been a touchdown well inside the crassness line.
Go Raiders, official Anzac footballers!
17 April 2025
See also 'Four Corners fallout (II): FOI nuggets, including a passionate speech from Director Anderson'
Related material: Four Corners transcript extracts.
Photo credit: A demonstration led by the Medical Association for Prevention of War, outside the War Memorial on Remembrance Day, 2019 (supplied).
