Australia's antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, has advocated for a new independent committee to scrutinise the Israel coverage provided by public broadcasters ABC and SBS. Speaking at a royal commission hearing on Thursday, Ms Segal highlighted a widespread perception within the Jewish community that the broadcasters' reporting on the Middle East conflict lacked balance, giving disproportionate attention to Gaza and anti-Israel viewpoints.
Ms Segal's proposal for an external 'oversight' committee, which she suggested could offer guidance or approval for coverage, met with resistance from both the ABC and SBS. Gavin Fang, the ABC's editorial director, defended the efficacy of the broadcaster's existing ombudsman, board, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). He questioned the necessity of an additional oversight body when current mechanisms are already in place to review and examine content.
Similarly, Amy Stockwell, the SBS ombudsman, underscored the independence of her role and the strength of SBS's complaints committee, further supported by ACMA. Ms Stockwell likened the process to a multi-layered review, stating, "It's not a case of me marking my own homework. I mark somebody else's homework, then the ACMA marks mine." She added that the internal media ombudsman model is a well-established international practice, providing accountability and fidelity to audiences.
Ms Segal drew parallels with the UK's media watchdog, Ofcom, suggesting it as a potential model for an independent regulator. She noted Ofcom's powers to initiate investigations and, in some instances, direct the BBC to reconsider or remove content. However, it is important to note that while Ofcom gained new responsibility this month to review BBC online editorial guidelines, it does not possess enforcement powers over that specific material.
The ABC's ombudsman, Fiona Cameron, revealed that her office processed 19,000 content complaints between October 2023 and May 2026. A significant 42% of these, approximately 8,000 complaints, were related to the ABC's coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict. Ms Cameron noted a trend of "organised campaigns" of complaints, with an initial surge alleging pro-Israel bias, followed by a shift towards accusations of pro-Palestine bias. Despite the high volume, the ABC stated that no complaints of bias in its news coverage have been upheld by the ombudsman or investigated by ACMA.