The ABC and SBS have defended their complaints processes and rejected the antisemitism envoy’s proposal for an external regulatory body, during conflicting evidence at the royal commission on antisemitism.
Segal’s call for oversight committee
The antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, told the hearing on Thursday that there was a “common and pervasive perception” in the Jewish community that the public broadcasters’ coverage of the war in the Middle East “lacked balance”, with an overemphasis on Gaza compared with other conflicts and disproportionate voice given to anti-Israel perspectives. She proposed a new “oversight” committee to vet their coverage.
ABC defends its processes
But the ABC’s editorial director, Gavin Fang, said the broadcaster’s ombudsman was functioning effectively, along with the board and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma). “I’m not sure how another oversight body might function in addition to that existing oversight body, which already has the power to review and to examine the ABC’s content,” Fang said. He also disagreed with Segal’s claim that coverage was disproportionate, stating the ABC had covered the rise in antisemitism and abided by editorial policies requiring impartiality, accuracy, and fairness.
SBS ombudsman’s independence
The SBS ombudsman, Amy Stockwell, emphasised the independence of her role and the robustness of SBS’s complaints committee and Acma. “It’s not a case of me marking my own homework. I mark somebody else’s homework, then the Acma marks mine,” she said. Stockwell noted that the internal media ombudsman model has been tested at SBS for 21 years and provides accountability to audiences.
Perception of bias in Jewish community
Segal earlier said the Jewish community felt reporting about the Middle East painted Israel “constantly in a negative light”. She outlined how an independent regulator could give coverage a “tick” or “guidance” to broadcasters, citing the UK’s Ofcom as a model. However, Ofcom’s website states it has no enforcement powers over BBC online material.
Organised complaint campaigns
The ABC ombudsman, Fiona Cameron, told the inquiry the broadcaster received a “huge amount of organised campaigns where the complaints are identical, or similar” about the Middle East war. From October 2023 to May 2026, her office settled 19,000 content complaints, of which 42% (8,000) were about the ABC’s coverage of Israel and Gaza. Cameron noted a trend: an episode of Q&A after 7 October 2023 generated nearly 2,000 complaints alleging pro-Israel bias, but later complaints shifted to claiming pro-Palestine bias.
ABC’s statement on bias complaints
The ABC said this week that Middle East coverage generated more complaints than any other topic, but no complaints of bias had been upheld by the ombudsman or investigated by Acma. In the six months from July to December 2025, 51% of complaints claimed pro-Palestinian bias and 47% claimed pro-Israel bias, indicating perceptions stem from strongly held views rather than systematic favouritism. The ombudsman found five breaches of editorial standards.
Commissioner questions oversight committee
Commissioner Virginia Bell asked Segal how a committee with members holding a particular “bandwagon” would affect trust in the ABC’s independence. Segal said the committee could be appointed without a Jewish representative as long as members understood antisemitism. The royal commission was established after the Bondi beach terror attack, where 15 people were killed at a Hanukah event.
IHRA definition not adopted
Both ABC and SBS have chosen not to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which the royal commission uses. The ABC said adopting it could conflict with perceptions of independence, and SBS said it does not adopt third-party definitions.
Example of problematic coverage
Segal pointed to a mistake in an ABC report that claimed “14,000 babies that will die in the next 48 hours” in Gaza, which should have stated 14,000 babies would die in the next year. The BBC had issued a correction before the ABC aired the story, but the ABC later corrected it. Segal said the correction took too long and was less prominent. Fang acknowledged it was “a bad mistake” and said the ABC attempts to correct errors at the first opportunity.
SBS use of Gaza health ministry statistics
Segal criticised SBS for using the Gaza health ministry as an official source, calling its statistics “grossly inflated”. However, Israel has accepted the ministry’s estimate of over 70,000 deaths as broadly accurate. SBS’s news director, Amanda Wicks, said the broadcaster makes clear Hamas runs the ministry. Wicks said SBS’s role is to “shine a light on … racism and discrimination, prejudice in all its forms”, including antisemitic attacks.
Segal’s final remarks
Segal said there was more focus on Israel’s behaviour than that of Hamas, and inaccurate reporting of Israel’s actions in Gaza had led to antisemitism in Australia. “If Israel has misconducted itself, then accurate reporting, it is what it is. But if the reporting is not accurate, then I think the broadcaster has some responsibility and that’s what I’m dealing with,” she said.
