Indian Constitution
News: A video documentary profile of Narendra Modi, originally broadcast on June 5, incorrectly implied that India’s original constitution included the word ‘secular’. While the Supreme Court of India affirmed during the 1960s that secularism is a basic feature of India’s 1950 constitution, the word was inserted in a constitutional amendment in 1976, changing the description of India from "sovereign, democratic republic" to "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic”.
Meta AI
PM and News Online: A radio piece broadcast on the PM program 6 June, and a written piece published on ABC News online 10 June, incorrectly stated that Australian users would be subject to new privacy policies by Meta that were planned to come into effect in the EU/UK on June 26. The changes would enable Meta to use material from Facebook and Instagram users’ accounts to train AI. The story incorrectly stated that, “This will happen regardless of whether your account is public or private.” Australian users will not be affected by the planned EU changes, and public Australian data is already being used by Meta to train AI, according to its privacy policies.
Electric Vehicle Sales
News Online. An article published on June 12 included a line that read 30 million new energy vehicles were sold in China every year compared to around 200,000 in Australia. Those figures were incorrect, and were corrected to 8 million and 100,000 respectively.
Mark Dreyfuss comment on Adam Bandt
Afternoon Briefing: During an interview on June 5, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus asserted the Greens Leader had been encouraging criminal damage, riotous behaviour and violent behaviour. The Greens Leader Adam Bandt has strongly denied the claim, stating “We’ve been crystal clear that as a party of peace and nonviolence, protests must be peaceful with respect to people and property.”
Feral horse estimates
ABC Radio News NSW. On April 8 two stories reported on opposition to the culling of feral horses by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NWPS) in the Kosciusko National Park. The stories included claims the number of horses in the park is at or below 3000 rather than the NWPS estimate of between 12,797 and 21,760 and that the horses are being mistreated when shot. The stories were published without seeking comment from the NPWS, and failed to acknowledge evidence previously provided by the NPWS to a parliamentary inquiry attesting to independent assessments validating its estimate and expert assessment that the culling is done humanely.
Bosco Minyurano
News Online: on May 28 in the headline of a story about Immigration Minister Andrew Giles cancelling the visa of Emmanuel Saki who allegedly murdered another man after the visa was reinstated, the victim Bosco Minyurano was incorrectly identified as female. That is incorrect, he is male.
Airforce New Caledonia flight
News Channel. On Monday May 20, we reported the Prime Minister had said the defence force was on standby to fly to New Caledonia to help restore order in the country. That was incorrect. The defence force was ready to fly to New Caledonia to help get Australians out of the territory, pending commercial flights resuming. We have removed this report from YouTube, Facebook and iView.
Tax Cuts
News Online: On May 15 a story on the budget incorrectly stated that upcoming tax cuts would be applied either through taxpayers paying a reduced debt to the ATO or receiving an increased refund at the end of this financial year. This is not the case. The tax relief will be applied through all taxpayers receiving more of their take-home pay each payday i.e. the ATO taking less tax from July 1 this year.
Pension adjustments
News Online: On May 14 a story on the impact of the budget on pensioners incorrectly stated that pensions are typically increased four times a year. Pensions are indexed twice a year — in March and September.
International Student Rentals
730: In the Budget in Reply interview with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Thursday, 16 May, Sarah Ferguson said “only four per cent of international students are in the rental market”, attributing the information to the Real Estate Institute. A report by the Student Accommodation Council, “Myth busting international students’ role in the rental crisis,” says international students make up only four per cent of Australia’s rental market.
Kevin Parker catalogue
News Online: On May 16, a report on Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker selling his entire catalogue to Sony Music Publishing stated that the acquisition included past and future works. The article has been changed to correctly reflect that Sony Music Publishing acquired Parker’s back catalogue and the deal encompasses an extension of their 15-year partnership. Sony Music Publishing will represent, rather than retain ownership, over future works.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel
News Online: On April 16, a profile of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel states that he had been ordained and later ex-communicated by the Assyrian Church of the East. The article has been changed to correctly reflect that he was ordained and later ex-communicated by the Ancient Church of The East, a separate Assyrian Orthodox denomination.
Gaza casualties
News Channel: On March 9, an on-air graphic stated that a quarter of recent fatalities in Gaza were children. This graphic should have referred to the West Bank. According to the Gazan Ministry of Health as cited by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as of May 13, 2024, 32 per cent of fatalities in Gaza are children.
Whyalla steelworks shifts
News: A story that went to air on ABC TV News on 7/5/24 regarding the Whyalla steelworks said “GFG Alliance has struck a deal with the unions” to change workers’ shifts. The ABC now understands this was not a deal struck with the unions, and rather a decision made by GFG Alliance.
Ninette Simons attacker
News Online: An analysis of recent federal political developments published on 6 May stated the decision to release the asylum seeker, Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan, charged with the assault of Ninette Simons was made by the Community Protection Board. This story has been updated to make clear that the board can only make recommendations, with a delegate of the minister responsible for signing off on decisions.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
ABC Canberra: On 7 May, an online story about diabetes medication procedures in schools included three quotes from the mother of a child with diabetes, who stated that glucagon needed to be administered to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. The ABC could not independently verify this advice, so the quotes were removed.
Apology to the Young family
News Channel: On April 13, the night of the tragic stabbing at Bondi Junction in Sydney ABC News channel inadvertently broadcast images of one of the victims - Jade Young - taken at the scene. We acknowledge those images were graphic and inappropriate. ABC News is deeply sorry about that. A decision had been made to either blur images like those, or not broadcast them at all. Unfortunately, in this instance that process failed and the videos were shown before they were blurred.
It was an error of judgement for which we take full responsibility. The ABC apologises to Jade’s family and to anyone else who was distressed by the images.
Kashi Vishwanath temple
News Channel: On April 27, incorrect footage was inadvertently used for the Kashi Vishwanath temple in our program India Votes 2024. We regret the error.
Indigenous Voting Rights
News: An episode of the podcast ‘Spies in the Outback’ stated that when the US base agreement was signed in 1966, Aboriginal Australians did not have the right to vote. They gained the right to vote in 1962, and it was made compulsory in 1984. The audio has been updated with this line removed.
Bran Brack interview
News Channel: In an introduction to an interview with the BCA’s Bran Black on April 12 a newsreader said that the business lobby wants limits placed on “coal manufacturing.” This was an error caused by misreading the word ‘local’ in the script as ‘coal’.
Matt Flynn comments on Jeremy Finlayson
ABC Radio WA: On 11 April 2024 a story mischaracterised remarks by a former teammate, Matt Flynn, of Port Adelaide's Jeremy Finlayson. The story said Flynn had described the ban as 'necessary but reactive'. The reference to 'reactive' was about Finlayson's comments, not the penalty.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
ABC News QLD. The 7 pm bulletin on 5 April included an incorrect caption, referring to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when US National Security spokesman John Kirby was on screen.
Louis Gossett Jnr and Hattie McDaniel Oscars
News: On ABC TV News on March 30, 2024 it was reported in reference to the death of Louis Gossett Jnr, that he was the first African American to win an Oscar. That was not correct. In 1939, Hattie McDaniel was awarded the academy award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gone with the Wind.
Kellie-Jay Keen
On 27 March 2023, the ABC broadcast a 7.30 interview with Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto. That interview referred to the organisers of the “Let Women Speak” event held in Melbourne earlier that month and included a social media post by “Posie Parker”. Some viewers may have understood the interview to suggest that Kellie-Jay Keen, who was not named in the interview, who organised the Melbourne “Let Women Speak” event, has associations with Neo-Nazis. The ABC understands Ms Keen denies any association with Neo-Nazis and the ABC does not endorse any imputation that may have been conveyed to that effect.
Dick Smith on Renewable Energy
RMIT ABC Fact Check: On 22 March the ABC published a story examining the factual basis of a comment made on Radio 2GB concerning the viability of renewable energy. The first version of this article was based on the inference that in Mr Smith's interview was only referring to electricity grids. After publication Mr Smith clarified that he was referring to full energy mix. The article has been updated to reflect that and to add information on the full energy mixes of four countries whose grids are 100 per cent renewable. It has also added a statement from the CSIRO responding to Mr Smith’s assertions regarding that organisation. The article also previously incorrectly stated that Mr Smith had rejected renewable-led electricity generation; this has been amended and the ABC apologises to Mr Smith for the error.