Our ABC's Sickening Bias

In a recent segment provocatively titled “‘Sickening’: Extremists ‘poison’ immigration debate as ABC shows media bias,” Sky News commentator Chris Kenny unleashes a scathing critique of the ABC’s coverage—charging that the national broadcaster is not just biased, but selectively complicit in framing the immigration debate around extremism.

Kenny’s Core Arguments

1. Immigration Debate Hijacked, But Coverage Lets It Ride
   Kenny asserts that extremists—particularly neo-Nazi elements—have managed to "hijack" the discourse around immigration policy. He argues that, instead of calling out these fringe elements, the ABC presents an unbalanced narrative, failing to spotlight the toxic influence of radical voices. In his view, the broadcaster’s coverage sanitises or obfuscates the real threat posed by such groups.

2. Relentless “Green-Left” Bias
   Kenny accuses the ABC of maintaining a persistent “green left bias” in its reporting—regularly flouting its own editorial charter to favor progressive perspectives.

3. Selective Scrutiny in Political Coverage
   He praises Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for calling out the ABC’s asymmetrical approach. The broadcaster’s tough questioning, he says, rarely targets left-leaning figures, exposing its one-sided journalistic culture.

4. Misinforming on the Middle East
   Kenny further brands the ABC’s Middle East reporting as “terrible stuff,” contending that it misinforms Australians about the nuanced complexities of the region.

The ABC’s Charter – and the Cost of Ignoring It

The ABC’s legislated charter demands impartiality. By airing all sides of a debate, the national broadcaster should give Australians the chance to hear competing views and make their own judgments. That’s the role of a taxpayer-funded institution in a democracy.

Yet, in practice, the ABC’s coverage—especially of the Israel–Hamas conflict—has strayed from this mission. Its bias has emboldened anti-Israel demonstrators, encouraging repeated, disruptive protests across major cities. Large numbers of these rallies have drawn on immigrant communities from the Middle East, a reality now fuelling broader tensions.

As Australians watch these demonstrations escalate, many have begun staging counter-protests of their own. What began as selective bias in coverage has spiralled into something larger: a sense of division, suspicion, and cultural unease.

In effect, the ABC has helped create the very divisions it ought to be healing. Instead of providing balanced information to strengthen public understanding, its reporting has fed polarisation.

Why This Matters

Kenny’s critique goes beyond mere nit-picking of a media outlet. His warning is about trust, responsibility, and the consequences of bias in institutions designed to serve all Australians. When a public broadcaster privileges one perspective, it fails not just in journalism but in democracy itself.

The ABC’s charter isn’t optional. If faithfully followed, it would protect against precisely the kind of division now playing out. By straying from it, the broadcaster hasn’t just skewed the news—it has, however unintentionally, become a player in the social fractures shaping Australia today.

Here is Chris Kenny's report ;-