The federal Communications Minister has asked the ABC for a “please explain” over why and how the broadcaster added extra gunshots to audio it used to wrongly claim former Australian Commando Heston Russell had committed war crimes.
The online ABC story, which incorrectly suggested Russell had fired at unarmed civilians, has subsequently been taken down from the public broadcaster’s website after an investigation by 7NEWS’ Spotlight.
It emerged on Wednesday that Communications Minister Michelle Rowland had requested a briefing from ABC executives, once it completes an investigation into the circumstances of the editing of the audio.
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Spotlight exposed the doctored audio in an episode that aired on Sunday night. The revelation has outraged veterans’ groups and led to calls for heads to roll at the ABC.
The Coalition hammered the Albanese Government over the saga during Senate question time on Wednesday afternoon, with Senator Sarah Henderson calling on Rowland to instruct ABC Chair Kim Williams to meet with former soldier, Heston Russell.
Speaking on behalf of Rowland, Labor Senator Jenny McAllister said the “government believes the ABC is editorially independent”.
“The Government believes the ABC should continue to be so,” she said.
“The minister is of course aware of the legislation that governs the ABC, and all the obligations that arise under that.”
At the end of question time Senator McAllister confirmed the Minister had requested a briefing from the ABC on the investigation into the doctored audio.
7NEWS Spotlight’s report on Sunday into the ABC’s misreporting of Russell’s time in service forced the national broadcaster to launch an investigation into its own journalism and delete a video.
“We have removed the online video where an error has been identified, based on preliminary inspection of the audio,” the ABC said in a statement to 7NEWS Spotlight on Sunday.
“The ABC is seeking more information on how this occurred.”
Russell is a highly decorated officer who led fellow soldiers into battle, campaigned for the establishment of the royal commission, built charities for soldiers and ran for a seat in the Queensland senate.
Several years after his discharge, Russell was targeted by the ABC.
Russell launched a successful defamation case against the national broadcaster, in which a federal court judge found the ABC’s public interest defence was not proven.
The ABC was slammed for causing Russell “serious harm” and ordered to pay him $390,000 in damages.