The ABC continues to receive negative feedback for its most recent Four Corners episode, with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton warning that the broadcaster was being taken over by “political operatives”.
The Australian revealed earlier this week that the Four Corners exposé, titled “The Forgotten Children”, was found to include random video footage of adults fighting, which was previously published on YouTube by a user known as “No Rulz”, as well as old photos of facilities that were no longer in use.
In his initial stab at the ABC over this revelation, Dutton said the broadcaster was irresponsible and that Four Corners had declined an offer by his office to use new photos and videos of upgraded schools, according to The Australian.
However, ABC news director Gaven Morris hit back at Dutton’s criticism in a statement issued yesterday.
Speaking on 2GB radio this morning, The Australian reported that Dutton said he will write to ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie to formally complain about what he says is a political crusade being waged by the public broadcaster.
“They’ve turned themselves into political operatives and it’s unacceptable for the national broadcaster,” he said.
“They should be factually based, these stories, and they shouldn’t be based on emotions and lies… it’s an embarrassment that our national broadcaster would carry on the way that they have.
“I’m going to write to the managing director and detail our concerns…. but downloading stories off YouTube and running them as somehow factually based is just a nonsense.”
