[BITList] Our impartial ABC

[John Feltham]

And not before time.






Fact checking the ABC fact checker·
          
The ABC has appointed former Fairfax journalist, Russell Skelton, to head its Fact Checking Unit.  The unit has been tasked to “check the accuracy and factual basis of public statements by politicians and other public figures” in the lead up to and during the election campaign.
 
The intervention by the ABC into what will undoubtedly be a hotly contested election campaign got off to a shaky start when it was revealed at Senate Estimates that Mr Skelton has twice been criticised on a factual basis by the ABC’s own Media Watch program – for inaccurately reporting on an Aboriginal community he did not visit!
 
It also turns out that Mr Skelton has a long and inglorious history of tweeting and re-tweeting his own and others’ vilifications of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and other prominent Coalition MPs.  While Mr Skelton was not an ABC employee at the time, all these tweets can be seen online under a banner proudly proclaiming that he is “Editor, ABC Fact Checking Unit, Sydney, Australia”.
 
It goes without saying that the ABC’s job specification for Mr Skelton’s job declared that the appointee would help build a reputation for accuracy and impartiality.   Given Mr Skelton’s record he has a big job before him.