Senate Estimates: ABC accused of bias after hiring content creator, Justin Stevens a no-show

The ABC has been accused of breaching impartiality standards during Senate Estimates after hiring a content creator who provides paid training for aspiring Labor candidates.

ABC managing director Hugh Marks was tight-lipped about the engagement of Youtuber Cameron Mitchell, who goes by the user name “Mr M History”, who was paid to take part in a “Creator Program”.

The program had profiled Mr Mitchell, who also runs the “Barcaldine Academy”, a Labor-focused coaching program.

“It doesn’t pass the pub test,” Senator Bridget McKenzie said, accusing the ABC of breaching editorial standard four, regarding impartiality.

Mr Marks couldn’t answer whether the ABC had undertaken appropriate vetting of each creator’s “political or reputational” background before promoting them.

Mr Marks described the program as a “working development program”, which allowed creators to “develop their skills” to see whether they could continue to other roles.

While he didn’t rule out payment for their contribution, Mr Marks insisted they “wouldn’t necessarily be full-time working for the ABC”.

“People joining the ABC should be coming from a diversity of backgrounds. But that diversity should not be relevant to their work. Their work should be judged by the editorial standard by which they operate,” Mr Marks said.

ABC’s outgoing director of news Justin Stevens didn’t appear before the hearing in Canberra after his sudden resignation yesterday.

Mr Stevens’ announced his exit less than 24 hours before the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was scheduled to face questions at 9am in Parliament House.

Mr Marks told the session that his departure after four years at the helm gave the broadcaster an opportunity for “refreshed and rejuvenated output”.

“It’s a difficult role, the head of news at the ABC. I think after four years, and with obviously intense scrutiny, not only from externally,” he said.

“It’s inappropriate for me to go into detail and specific staff matters.

“I think Mr Stevens felt it was the right time for him to move on and pursue other careers, and I think it’s an opportunity, obviously, for the ABC to enter into a new phase of operations where we look to refresh and rejuvenate our output.”

NSW Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi pushed Mr Marks to clarify if Reuters executive Simon Robinson had been hired as a replacement after news reports naming him.

However, Mr Marks declined to confirm.

Senator Sarah Henderson also criticised ABC chairman Kim Williams for skipping the session and indicated she may seek an order through parliament to compel him to appear.

She said Mr Williams should answer questions on his remarks about Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, labelling him as “frankly an aberrant creature”.

“I had great hope for the ABC when Mr Williams started. He made some very significant comments that he did not want to see activism in the ABC,” she said.

“He wanted the highest standards of journalism, not activism. And yet, he engages in this sort of behaviour.

“You’ve got the chair setting that sort of appalling example.”

Mr Marks said Mr Williams had already publicly stated that he regretted marking the comments.

“I acknowledge that those comments were less than desired or ideal,” Mr Marks said.

“I think Mr Williams regrets making them.

“It’s not an indicator to our staff in any way to change their behaviour in compliance with the codes and standards that we abide to in the work that we do.”