ABC News boss Justin Stevens has lambasted unrelenting critics of the public broadcaster’s star reporters, describing them as ‘bullies’ with ‘ideological, personal or commercial’ axes to grind.

His comments come amid growing furore against the taxpayer-funded broadcaster following claims it published ‘doctored’ vision of an Australian soldier to make it appear as though he was repeatedly firing at an unarmed civilian. 

Forensic digital audio expert James Raper told Channel Seven‘s Spotlight the sound of six gunshots had been ‘copied and pasted’ into footage included in a 2022 ABC report about alleged war crimes to make it appear more sinister. 

The ABC has since launched an investigation into how the footage was manipulated before it appeared in the online news report by the ABC’s investigations unit

Mr Stevens has fiercely defended the award-winning star journalists behind the investigative series – Jo Puccini, Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson – saying they had ‘no role in the production and editing’ of the clip and and that it had been ‘immediately’ removed once questions were raised about its veracity.

The manipulated vision has sparked a furious backlash against the broadcaster, with some critics accusing the ABC of deliberately denigrating the nation’s war heroes.  

Mr Stevens addressed the offending footage while delivering a speech on media trust and transparency at the Melbourne Press Club on Tuesday, saying the error ‘shouldn’t have occurred’ but any suggestion it was knowingly ‘doctored’ was untrue. 

He said the ABC was ‘prepared to listen to good faith criticism’ and respond accordingly, acknowledging that in the race to cover major stories ‘mistakes are certainly made’. 

‘Mis-steps sometimes happen. And we must admit when we can do better,’ Mr Stevens said in the speech.

‘Just last week it was brought to our attention by Channel Seven that a video clip in an online story from two years ago had an error. 

‘A preliminary inspection suggests a section of audio was incorrectly edited.

‘We removed the video and are still looking into how this happened. Once we have the full facts we will determine the appropriate response.

‘Until we have clarity on how it occurred, I won’t be making further comments about it, so as to not pre-empt that.’

He then returned fire on the public broadcaster’s most outspoken and unrelenting critics and accused them of being ‘bullies’ intent on waging a malicious war on ABC journalists’ personal reputations. 

‘We expect scrutiny on the ABC to be rigorous and thorough and I don’t shy from that when it’s warranted,’ he said.

‘But sometimes what’s called “scrutiny” is really an agenda-driven attack motivated by ideological, personal or commercial interests, often directed at specific journalists with the goal of denting their reputations.

‘This trend across social media and from some media outlets – and let’s be honest and call it what it often is: bullying – is about more than just the ABC. 

‘Spurious attacks on SOME journalists can potentially erode the reputation of ALL journalists. And that feeds the public’s crisis of trust.

‘This is why the scale of unfair attacks on ABC journalists, whether by social media trolls, commentators or our media competitors, should be called out.

‘Disturbingly, we disproportionately see women, First Nations and culturally diverse journalists being targeted.’

Mr Stevens also accused social media ‘activists’ of amplifying erroneous criticism and creating ‘vicious pile-ons’ of the ABC’s highest paid stars. 

‘Activists on X, for example, rarely go a day without piling on the ABC’s respected National Political Lead and Insiders host David Speers,’ he said. 

‘David’s track record and work over decades is exemplary. 

‘Make no mistake: he’s a target of this vicious pile-on because a noisy cohort don’t want an impartial journalist in a role like his. 

‘They want somebody who barracks for their side. David has the ABC’s full support and respect.’

He said the principle of ‘impartiality’ among the ABC’s journalists was often ‘misunderstood and oversimplified’ before delivering another broadside to the broadcaster’s media rivals. 

‘Impartiality does not mean journalists don’t have feelings or opinions. Being human, of course they do. In fact, humanity is a grace note of the finest journalism,’ he said. 

‘It isn’t only ABC audiences who have the right to expect impartiality. 

‘Any credible media organisation should ensure their journalism is accurate and fair, and they should have training and processes in place to support that.

‘Just as importantly, we don’t ask journalists to seek false balance – to fall into reductive “both sides” reporting. 

‘In ABC content, we expect to see a diversity of perspectives where there is genuinely unresolved debate.’

Mr Stevens maintained the ABC’s journalists never shied away from offering ‘a platform’ to individuals of significant public interest – regardless of whether they personally agreed with their views or not.  

‘I can’t imagine a Patricia Karvelas or a Michael Rowland ever going easy on anybody,’ he said.

‘The best political interviewers have their reputations because they hold all comers equally accountable. 

‘The audience is unable to discern any agenda for an interview other than getting to the bottom of matters.

‘We reject suggestions that we shouldn’t “platform” people with particular political views. 

‘We don’t “platform” people, we report on them – interview them, challenge them, scrutinise them. Again, so the public can make up their own minds.

‘We don’t aim to appease any side or audience segment. 

‘We reject any approach that selects and censors who we can report on, on the basis of an approved ideology.’