Thank you, Tess and Friends, for inviting me here today … 

… And I, too, would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this unceded land, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and their leaders – past, present and future.

I’m here today both as a member of ABC Friends and as a co-founder and member of ABC Alumni. But everything I have to say is very much my personal opinion and does not necessarily represent the views of those organisations.

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As we all know, the ABC has had a rough trot over quite some years now. 

A lot of us are buoyed by the new Chair, Kim Williams, and his clear articulation of public broadcasting philosophy and of future directions for the ABC. 

The revived emphasis on radio, and notably Radio National, is a particularly welcome development, from my point of view. Until this intervention, RN’s future as a broadcast service was on the brink; .. this ABC flagship was perilously close to being relegated as an online-podcast service only, as a cost-cutting measure due primarily to ongoing and increasing budget constraints. 

So, I’d like to be standing here now and saying that the ABC’s problems are over, or at least well on the way to being resolved.

But that would be very Pollyanna-ish. 

I think, more than ever, we need to work hard to gain stronger support for the ABC … not least, because it’s very clear that the types of anti-public institutions, anti-democracy factors that we’ve just seen in the US election have been alive in Australia for some years … with the ABC being the public institution that arguably is most under attack.

As all of you here would know, the reality is that:

• Firstly .. Contrary to the mantra of its detractors, the ABC’s annual budget remains grossly inadequate if it is to fully implement the Chair’s vision, and provide the breadth and calibre of national broadcasting and the myriad other services we want and need. In real terms, funding has decreased by 14 per cent over the last ten years, which equates to $140-150 million each year. It’s a lot. And unless there’s a significant increase from government, things are going to get worse. Some $40 million will have to be re-allocated from other areas to maintain the 60 new rural and regional roles funded by the Meta and Google deal when it ceases shortly. Some other funding is currently slated to finish at the end of the current five-year funding cycle in 2027. And on top of that, production costs are rising sharply. Inevitably, without additional funding, there’ll be more staff and service cuts, less to spend on technology upgrades, and even less than now to spend on quality drama, documentary and so on.
• Secondly .. The ongoing hostile campaign against the ABC from certain quarters of the media, and others, is influencing a substantial portion of the public in a quite insidious way – I’m sure most of you have had people comment to you about gripes they have with the ABC .. and many of us have at times felt despondent ourselves. Some supporters have chosen to disengage, and I can understand that. .. But beware. In my opinion, this is part of a bigger agenda that’s gaining momentum, which I’ll get to shortly.
• Thirdly … Although the current Communications Minister and the Prime Minister value the ABC, many in positions of power, or potential power, do not .. or if they do, they don’t see protecting it, via increased and adequate funding, as a priority. 

I believe these three points are interconnected, and at the core is the anti-ABC rhetoric.

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Everyone in this room understands the essential role that the ABC plays in providing reliable news, and bringing the powerful to account .. as a source of plentiful information across many areas, some of which are not covered by other media .. its contribution to social cohesion .. and its fundamental importance to a healthy democracy. But we would be underestimating at our peril, if we believed these ideals were sacrosanct.

As we all know, hostile attacks on the ABC come overwhelmingly from the Murdoch media, the IPA and a small coterie of others including some in politics. Their philosophies are steeped not in the institutions of public service, but in commercial interest and privatisation. The rhetoric from them has all the hallmarks of an orchestrated campaign; for example, to paint the ABC as the province of “inner-city elites” with woke agendas that are irrelevant to the vast majority of Australians. It’s complete rubbish. .. They point to falling ratings, without the context of the changing media landscape or any other consideration of the wider ABC offerings. .. Occasionally, to be fair, there’s some validity in a criticism, be it a story or a program or a management decision. But much of the commentary is inflated, often hysterically so .. and some is nothing more than trifling brouhaha. But mud sticks, and it’s got to the point where even suggestions that there’s no longer a need for the ABC have arisen, a little too often for comfort.

There is a view in some pro-ABC quarters that this negativity occurs in its own bubble, and to ignore it … that the ABC is still the most trusted and most valued news outlet in the country, etc.

I think this view is rather naïve, because – despite whatever data might indicate about trust and engagement and so on – these negative impressions spread deceptively and perniciously. … An attack in say one of the Murdoch newspapers gains momentum by repetition upon repetition in its other newspapers, and in its other outlets .. on Sky TV, and through its ubiquitous online, YouTube and social media accounts. … So, you get multiple repetition of the same gripe across all these platforms. Throw in word-of-mouth and it gets to numerous other people, many of whom probably don’t even know the original source. It gets repeated on social media by a plethora of other interest groups. It gets taken up on right-wing talkback radio, and so on.  And by this stage, it doesn’t matter if there’s any substance to the attack or not. It’s just another negative on the ABC that registers in people’s minds. It’s Trumpian methodology. … Perhaps some of you may be unaware of the extent of this negative campaign against the ABC, because you don’t engage with these kinds of outlets, but it’s most certainly out there, loud and bold. .. And there’s no comfort in thinking, as some do, that, say, Sky News doesn’t have a large audience, because it does have much wider influence when you take into account this multiplier effect.

Some of the ABC’s detractors now go so far as to imply that the ABC is a basket-case. It’s not.

But what’s not broadly understood outside of circles like ours is that, unlike commercial media, the ABC operates transparently and is answerable to government via Senate Estimates and to the public through its complaints process, which now of course is overseen by an ombudsman. This is as it should be. But it makes the ABC a sitting duck for its detractors. … The fact is that all media make mistakes, but we seldom hear about transgressions from the commercial sector and certainly not in an all-pervasive way. It would be an interesting exercise to itemise errors, excesses and untruths emanating from those organisations that criticise the ABC. … But I digress …

I’m the first to acknowledge that there has been a small number of issues in recent years for which the ABC has been rightly brought to account, no excuses. 

But in my opinion, the corporation has made relatively few serious mistakes and, for the most part, I think those that have occurred have happened fundamentally because of lack of funding. .. Why? .. Because massive staff cuts over the last decade have meant fewer people working on more, as well as considerably fewer experienced senior people to provide the checks and balances that were once routine – and that’s whether we’re talking about internally produced output or the checking of buy-ins and co-productions. 

Furthermore, with the drastic reduction of senior staff, there’s been a huge loss of collective memory, and an undermining of the ABC’s mentoring culture where experienced broadcasters routinely passed on their knowledge to younger staff. I think, also, that until the arrival of Kim Williams as chair, a corporation-wide understanding of the public broadcasting ethos had waned, and it will take some time to remedy this.

But one thing I know for sure, is that the ABC has faced troubles in the past and has always had a great capacity to bounce back. And I do believe it’s well on the way to doing so this time. 

So with a federal election coming up, how can the external pressures on the public broadcaster be tackled? …

The ABC is very lucky to have an organisation like the Friends. You’ve done a remarkable job for many years, especially at election times. 

It’s fair to say that in previous elections, the Friends together with ABC Alumni have been highly effective in public campaigning, with simple and straight-forward pro-ABC messaging. .. There’s been effective lobbying of key politicians of all persuasions. .. Rallies, large and small, have been run for the faithful, usually with key politicians from the major parties and beyond invited to pitch their positions. .. And of course in the last election, we saw the Teals campaign – and the very effective speaking tour that Kerry O’Brien engaged in, which in very large part made the ABC an election issue. It resulted in a small restitution of monies in budget pledges, and a little more forthcoming subsequently when Labor came to power.

This type of campaigning should continue, but I think this coming 2025 election will be a lot harder than last time. … It’s imperative that we fully recognise the impact of the major changes in the media ecosystem and diversify our messaging. No longer can we rely solely on the “simple-message” communications playbook that has worked so well in the past.

I must say that I’m incredibly impressed by the new ABC Friends Strategy Plan which addresses these challenges – and which I urge you to read if you haven’t already done so … and I also urge you to get actively involved in implementing it; it’s as important to do so now as it’s ever been – probably even more so, given the acceleration of anti-ABC forces.

With just a short time to speak, I’m not going to trawl over ground that’s been covered in the Friends Strategy Plan, but instead I’ll offer a few thoughts – partly provocation, and partly suggestions of some specific activities that could be considered .. and acted on now.

The ABC itself is best placed to take the lead in directly refuting negativity and untruths directed at it, and they’ll weigh this up against the risk of adding fuel to a fire. There will be times when it’s advantageous for supporters to chip in; I’m sure there’ll be issues the Alumni will be well qualified to comment on. But perhaps the most effective core response for the Friends, is to go on the offensive by putting our own positive messages about the ABC out there.

And there are plenty of positives. You all have your favourites – whether it’s the many brilliant specialist programs on RN – like the science shows, music, investigations, books and Arts discussion, philosophy, history, Indigenous affairs, health and more. … Or you may be a follower of Local Radio, ABC Classic, Triple J and others … On TV there’s Four Corners, Foreign Correspondent, Landline, Media Watch, Australian Story and a range of information programs, even some excellent comedy and drama, though we need money for more … You may prefer to access the ABC through the various apps that are available, or through podcasts or iview … Then there’s the Emergency Broadcasting service, educational and children’s programming, and the exceptional International service. That’s just to name a few. 

But, we must reach beyond our own echo chambers. The people we most need to influence, are not simply existing ABC supporters but more importantly, the wider public, and especially those who don’t particularly think about the ABC or who have already been caught up in the negativity web. To fail to do so would be a major messaging failure.

This was reinforced to me earlier this week when reading commentary on the US election by American journalist and broadcaster Dan Rather, who at 93 is still a prolific commentator through social media, his Steady newsletter and contributions to other journals. Rather made the point, and I quote: 

“The thing that is so remarkable about the right-wing media is the cohesiveness of its voice — which doesn’t speak the truth. The rest of the media landscape doesn’t speak with one voice — nor should it, not in a healthy democracy. But if you are trying to combat a right-wing media monster, it is a big disadvantage.”  

You don’t need to look too far, as I’ve outlined earlier, to see how ABC detractors are using the same kind of methodology, both in mainstream media and through online platforms and especially social media, where we know a great many people – especially in the younger demographics – are now getting their information. … As you know, the ABC is reaching into these platforms with ABC TikTok and the like carrying custom-made content. And I think we can do a lot of good by upping the ante on our own efforts in this space – by promoting positive, truthful, pro-ABC messages. I fear that if there’s not a great deal more push-back, the detractors will dominate.

In terms of reaching the public at large…  If each and every one of us, for example, were to pro-actively spread the word, even in just a small way, it would make a difference. 

• Perhaps write a letter to a newspaper or local publication, or a social media post, about a newsworthy topic, weaving in a reference to a comment or program on any of the ABC platforms, or to one of its fabulous services like Emergency Broadcasting and the International division’s important work in Asia and the Pacific. Counter the “inner-city elite” depiction by pointing to obvious ABC content that cannot be characterised in this way – and there’s plenty of it, as mentioned previously, from the vast rural service to science, health, the Arts, children’s and educational programming, and so on.  And wherever there’s an opportunity, refer to the ABC’s importance as a pillar of our democracy, such as, say, in comparison to media censorship in other countries, and related issues that are reported from time to time.
• In the same vein, if you’re a confident speaker, perhaps participate in radio talkback or in community radio programs with commentary favourable to the ABC.
• Forward articles of interest from ABC online to friends, acquaintances and any mailing lists you may be connected with. Let people know of programs you’ve been enjoying on radio, apps, podcasts, TV or iview.
• With cost of living currently being a big issue for many people, reinforce as much as possible the value of the ABC as a free, reliable, independent and commercially-unencumbered news, information and entertainment service. Point this out in conversations, through social media, wherever there’s an opportunity. [This won’t be liked by those organisations who view the ABC as competition for their own commercial aspirations, but the message will reach those who matter.]
• If you’re so inclined, participate in public speaking through clubs – many of which are always on the hunt for a new speaker.
• And don’t forget younger demographics (by which I mean everyone below retirement age). Perhaps start with younger family members … and if you have grandkids, try to get them involved, promoting ABC’s more youthful output. 
• As well, look to special interest groups and diverse communities… People of some ethnic backgrounds, for example, come from repressive regimes and may consider the ABC as state-controlled media, as is the case in their former countries, and not understand that it is state-funded but fully independent .. or they may have a historic distrust of media generally. .. So that’s worth taking time to discuss whenever you have a chance to do so. And if you have contacts within the non-English-speaking media and especially social media platforms in Australia, or know people who do, try to get coverage there too. Similarly, with non-English-speaking community groups. And don’t forget the ABC’s International service with its Mandarin and other regional language output. This is particularly worth doing in areas where there’s a high concentration of people of non-Anglo heritage. In fact, if you haven’t already done so, you might like to check out Australian population statistics for a clear picture of these cultural demographics.

The bottom line is that, if sufficiently more momentum can be built up around community support for the ABC and its value, it will help to influence politicians – they want to be elected or re-elected after all, and will respond to the public mood. 

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In terms of political lobbying, federal funding is tightly contested, and those politicians directly involved with media policy can only achieve so much, in gaining increases in the ABC’s budget, if they don’t have full support from all or at least a majority of their colleagues. 

It would be prudent, I think, if ABC Friends, both the NSW/ACT branch and nationally, were to coordinate volunteers to make appointments to visit all sitting politicians, House and Senate, in their own electorates and States… and when the election is called, with all candidates. Visit them armed with compelling arguments and a written “key points” sheet to leave with them. Where possible, organise electorate rallies and discussion events, both in-person and online, and invite them to participate – this was done very effectively by some sub-branches in the run-up to the 2022 election. I’m sure that the Friends and ABC Alumni leaders will be working together to produce support material and to organise other activities.

The cost of living issue – which is referred to in the Strategic Plan – will no doubt feature prominently in the election and the value of the ABC in offering free, reliable and commercially-unencumbered news and information, as well as entertainment, mentioned earlier, is a good argument, especially for Labor where we know the Communications Minister is on side.

With the Coalition, it’s rather more complex as their ideology favours private enterprise, along with other factors, but that’s not a topic for today. … I’ll simply say that, as with Labor, personal contact with each and every politician and candidate is worth pursuing. You may not get a great reception, but they’ll hopefully get the message that the ABC has strong community support in their electorate, especially if they’re up against a pro-ABC independent candidate, and some may well respond favourably. In fact, there are ABC and public broadcasting supporters within the Coalition ranks, but their voices are rarely heard.

The same approach is true, of course, for the Greens, smaller parties and Independents.

I know that Kim Williams has been in Canberra during every sitting week and he’s been talking to a wide range of politicians and advisors. But repetition, repetition, repetition is the way to cut through, and that’s where I think the Friends can really help.

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As for what else might be done, I’ve attended Friends’ brainstorming meetings in the past, so I know first-hand that you always have plenty of clever ideas to contribute. And I’m sure you’ll have many this time.

But I can’t emphasise enough how important it is, right now, to consolidate public support for the ABC through flooding every avenue possible with concrete positive messages that hit the mark on the things that different sectors of the population are concerned about … and do try to recruit new members to join ABC Friends, including beyond the older Caucasian cohort.

Australia, of course, differs in some fundamental ways to America. We have strong government support for health and education. We have a true public broadcaster, entirely unshackled from commercial or government influence. I’d like to think that there’s wide support for the ABC as a pillar of our democracy.

But make no mistake, its enemies are out there and wouldn’t hesitate to destroy it, either totally or in part, if the opportunity arose. … We can’t forget that it remains Liberal Party policy to privatise the ABC. The parliamentary cohort of the party says this will never happen, but there’s no guarantee on that, and one must ask, if this is the case, why this resolution hasn’t been struck from the party’s policy – there have been plenty of opportunities to do so over the last few years.

Moreover, well they might promise there’ll always be an ABC, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’ll always be an ABC as a true public broadcaster. An ABC that doesn’t cost taxpayer dollars – or which only costs the taxpayer for some services such as rural and regional and emergency broadcasting – could be an easy sell for a deceptive marketeer, but it would be an ABC in name only.

If you think something like this couldn’t happen, just look at the state of public media around the world, heed the warnings of the anti-ABC rhetoric, and familiarise yourself with actions such as the Amendment Bill to the ABC Act that former Communications Minister Paul Fletcher presented to parliament as recently as 2019, and to then Opposition Shadow Minister Rowland’s rebuttal of what she characterised as a furthering of, and I quote, “the agenda of the Liberal and National parties to privatise the ABC by stealth”.

I don’t think a clean sweep of both the House of Representatives and the Senate by one party is probable in this country, to enable open slather on the ABC. I hope not. Australians generally, I think, are more politically savvy than their American counterparts, and more sceptical of politicians and their promises.

So yes, I’m being provocative in this speech. Yes, I’m being alarmist about worst possible scenarios. But if the US election has taught us anything, it’s to never say never; anything is possible … and I think it’s best to be over-cautious, rather than under-prepared.

It’s up to all of us who value the ABC as the independent, government-funded broadcaster we have now, to stay vigilant and pro-active.

Thank you … and long live the ABC.

Helen Grasswill is a Walkley, Logies and Human Rights award-winning journalist with more than 50 years’ experience in the media. She is a co-founder and former Deputy Chair of ABC Alumni.

Our thanks to ABC Friends for permission to publish this speech.