Justin Milne has resigned as ABC chairman after his board turned against him and staff threatened to walk off the job.

ABC directors met on Thursday and decided Mr Milne should stand aside while a government investigation took place, which prompted him to resign.

Sources at the ABC said employees had made it clear to board members on Thursday that ABC staff were so angry they were prepared to walk off the job in protest if Mr Milne did not resign.

In an interview with the ABC's 7.30 program, Mr Milne described the week's events as a "firestorm" and said he "wanted to provide a release valve".</s>CANBERRA: The chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has resigned following allegations of political interference.

Justin Milne resigned from the national broadcaster amid reports he had asked for journalists to be fired because their reporting was disliked by the Australian government, the BBC reported on Thursday.

The government has denied pressuring the broadcaster over its staff.

Milne said there had been no interference from Canberra, and he was stepping aside to "provide a release valve" from the public pressure.

"Nobody from the government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC," he said.

The allegations against Milne had prompted protests from ABC staff on Wednesday about protecting the broadcaster's editorial independence.</s>Justin Milne has resigned as chairman of Australian Broadcasting Corp. His departure deepens the leadership crisis at the public broadcast group, following the sacking of managing director Michelle Guthrie on Monday.

Shortly after the dismissal of Guthrie, Milne’s own position was called into question by the leaking of a series of emails. These appeared to show Milne putting pressure on Guthrie to “get rid of” ABC financial journalist Emma Alberici. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is said to have complained to Milne about inaccuracies in Alberici’s reporting of federal government tax policy. Milne and Turnbull are friends of long standing.

ABC staff have asked whether the chairman damaged the corporation’s editorial independence. Some staff organizations called for an investigation. Staff in Brisbane unanimously voted for Milne to resign.

On Wednesday, Milne insisted that he would not resign. But the mounting pressure from within the corporation and from without meant that he changed course on Thursday morning local time. He said it was preferable for him to resign than to simply step aside while an investigation took place.

“Clearly there is a lot of pressure on the organization, and as always my interests have been to look after the interests of the corporation,” Milne said in an interview given to the ABC’s own “7.30” current affairs show. “It is clearly not a good thing for everybody to be trying to do their jobs with this kind of firestorm going on.”

Guthrie, one of the highest-profile female executives in international television, was fired less than two and a half years into a five-year contract. She was criticized for her management style and told that her relationships with government “could have been better.”</s>Behind the extraordinary events engulfing the national broadcaster lies a rather ordinary and clear statement of principle enshrined in the ABC Act. It clearly stipulates that one of the functions of the board is to maintain the corporation’s independence and integrity.

Has Justin Milne, as chairman of the board, done that?

Reports from Fairfax Media this week revealed email correspondence between Milne and the then managing director, Michelle Guthrie. In the emails, Milne called for chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici to be sacked over a report on government funding for research and innovation.

Then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had complained about the article; this followed complaints in February about two other pieces by Alberici on corporate tax, also critical of government policy. The ABC amended and reposted one of these pieces and eight days later republished the other, an analysis.

An internal ABC review found fault with both earlier articles, which had attracted considerable attention.

Another report this week in The Daily Telegraph makes further claims that Milne later demanded the resignation of ABC political editor Andrew Probyn, following anger from Turnbull. “You have to shoot him”, Milne is claimed to have said to Guthrie.

Read more: ABC Board Chair over-reaches in a bid to appease hostile government

On one view, the performance of a journalist is an operational matter for the MD or other executives, not a strategic matter, and there was no cause for intervention by Milne.

But others might ask, isn’t it the role of the board to intervene if there’s possibly severe reputational damage to the organisation and executives are not acting?

Both points seem reasonable, but this is the ABC, not a commercial operation.

It’s hardly contentious to say that its journalistic role distinguishes a news organisations from other businesses. Watchdog, fourth estate – however we describe it – news media are different. Editorial independence, along with editorial standards, is important.

But this is even more pronounced for public broadcasters. While government funds the ABC and SBS using public money, these are not state broadcasters. Being free from state control is a part of the legislation under which the ABC operates. It’s when we look at the ABC Act that we see the problem for Milne.

Although we often speak of the ABC “charter”, this is really just section 6 of the ABC Act. It sets out the functions of the ABC and it’s where we find reference to the ABC providing “innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard”.

But important obligations are found elsewhere. The requirement to provide a news service, for example, is in a later, operational section.

And it’s section 8 where we find the twin requirements of independence and editorial standards. These are worth setting out in full:
• None 8(1)(b) to maintain the independence and integrity of the Corporation
• None 8(1)(c) to ensure that the gathering and presentation by the Corporation of news and information is accurate and impartial according to the recognised standards of objective journalism

The problem for Milne is that these obligations are not imposed on the ABC as an organisation. They are imposed on the board. The lead-in to section 8 is: “It is the duty of the Board…”

Read more: Media Files: ABC boss Michelle Guthrie sacked, but the board won’t say why

Returning then to the emails, at issue was a report by Alberici on the main 7pm television news bulletin on May 6. According to the Fairfax report, Turnbull sent an email to news director Gaven Morris the next day complaining about the report.

Morris sent it to Guthrie, who contacted Milne. Milne responded, saying “they [the government] hate her” and “get rid of her”.

This apparently is before Communications Minister Mitch Fifield complained about the same report on May 9 and before the ABC’s complaints review unit had a chance to assess the complaint. When it did, it found no problem with the article except for one inaccuracy – certainly nothing that would justify the dismissal of the journalist.

It appears Milne acted to protect the reputation of the ABC. He and the board are required to do that – protecting its “integrity” is a part of their statutory duties. And the board also has a role in upholding standards.

Had the ABC’s complaints unit found there was a serious problem for a second time and executives had failed to act, maybe the board would have been right to intervene. But that step – assessing the validity of the complaint – was skipped, and it seems the main reason for proposing Alberici’s dismissal was to appease the government.

In this case, “independence” should have trumped the reputational aspect of “integrity”, especially when the risk was political. Instead, the chairman of the ABC may have compromised both values.</s>Canberra, Sep 27 (IANS) The chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) resigned on Thursday following allegations of political interference.

Justin Milne resigned from the national broadcaster amid reports he had called for journalists to be fired because their reporting was disliked by the Australian government, the BBC reported.

His exit comes after managing director Michelle Guthrie was fired on Monday.

In departing, Milne denied any government interference, and said he was leaving to “provide a release valve” for the “firestorm” stirred up by the reports.

“Nobody from the government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC,” he said.

Milne had allegedly told Guthrie to sack two senior journalists whose reports had provoked complaints from the government this year.

In one leaked email about economics journalist Emma Alberici, he wrote: “They hate her… Get rid of her. We need to save the ABC, not Emma.”

In another reported exchange, he directed the managing director to “shoot” the ABC’s political editor, Andrew Probyn.

These claims and others were leaked to Australia news outlets just a day after Milne, in charge of the ABC board, sacked Guthrie halfway through her five-year term.

The ABC is funded by public money, but has its editorial independence protected by a legislated charter, the BBC said.

Under its policies, the broadcaster has a legal duty to present news in an impartial manner, free from political bias or influence.

In recent years, it has been criticised by the centre-right Liberal National government for allegedly showing bias in some of its stories.

Reports that Milne, a former business partner of ex-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, sought to remove journalists behind those stories, prompted wide outrage on Wednesday leading to staff protests across the country.

The government has announced an inquiry into the alleged interventions and resolutely denied pressuring the broadcaster over its editorial stance.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed Milne’s exit on Thursday, saying it was time for the ABC to “resume normal transmission”.</s>The chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) resigned on Thursday over allegations he pressured the independent national broadcaster to fire two political journalists because the ruling conservative government disliked them.

The scandal has damaged the credibility of both the governing coalition and the ABC, which is government-funded but is required by law to operate independently of party politics. The ABC is many Australians’ most trusted news source.

ABC chairman Justin Milne announced on Monday that ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie, who was also the broadcaster’s editor-in-chief, had been fired halfway through her five-year contract because the board did not like her leadership style.

Media reports have since alleged that Mr Milne, who is responsible for maintaining ABC independence, had unsuccessfully pressured Ms Guthrie to fire political editor Andrew Probyn and chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici to prevent potential cuts in government funding.

Mr Milne, who was appointed by the conservative government last year and is a friend of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, said he had resigned for the good of the corporation.

“It’s clearly not a good thing for everybody to be trying to do their job with this kind of fire storm going on, so I wanted to provide a release valve,” he told the ABC in a television interview.

Mr Milne said his resignation was “absolutely, 100% not” an admission that he had failed to safeguard the ABC’s editorial independence.

“There was absolutely no interference in the independence of the ABC by the government. Nobody from the government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC. Nobody ever told to hire anybody, fire anybody or do anything else,” he said.

Fairfax Media has reported that Mr Milne wrote an email to Ms Guthrie calling for Ms Alberici be fired on May 8, a day after Mr Turnbull complained to the ABC’s news director about a report on government spending.

“Get rid of her. We need to save the ABC — not Emma,” he added.

News Corp, citing ABC board documents, reported Mr Milne told Ms Guthrie in a June 15 telephone conversation that Mr Turnbull “hates” Mr Probyn and: “You have to shoot him.”

Mr Turnbull, who has lived in New York since he was ousted as prime minister on August 24, said on Thursday that while he had complained about the two reporters’ journalism, he had never asked for them to be fired.

“The bottom line is I’ve never called for anybody to be fired. My concern has been on the accuracy and impartiality of reporting,” he told reporters.

On Wednesday, the government ordered a communications department investigation into the published allegations that Mr Milne had pressured Ms Guthrie to fire the two journalists, warning she was “putting the future of the ABC at risk” and jeopardising 500 million Australian dollars (£276 million) in government funding that the chairman wanted for his pet project to digitise the broadcaster.

The minor Greens Party has called for a Senate inquiry into the entire ABC board, not trusting a government inquiry into the government’s potential involvement in the scandal.

The conservative coalition has long complained of a leftist bias in ABC reporting. But centre-left governments have also complained of unbalanced reporting in the past.

Prime minister Scott Morrison tweeted that Mr Milne’s resignation was the right decision.

Earlier, Mr Morrison had described the interference allegations against Mr Milne as “pretty serious” and “very concerning.”

“The idea that the government has somehow got some list and is telling the ABC who should work there and who shouldn’t — that’s complete rubbish,” he told reporters.</s>SYDNEY (Reuters) - The chairman of Australia’s public broadcaster resigned on Thursday after allegations he appeared to bow to government pressure when he called for the removal of a senior journalist.

Justin Milne, chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), said he would resign after widespread anger from staff, labor unions and lawmakers.

“My aim, has been to look after the interests of the corporation. It’s clearly not a good thing for everyone to be trying to do their job with this kind of firestorm going on so I wanted to provide a release valve,” Milne told the ABC.

Milne’s departure comes just days after the ABC sacked former managing director Michelle Guthrie. The ABC said Guthrie was dismissed amid concerns about her leadership style.

The ABC is funded by the government but is an independent body.

But leaked emails from Milne appeared to suggest funding could be jeopardized if the ABC did not remove a senior journalist who had angered the government through her coverage of its corporate tax policy.

“We are tarred with her brush. I think it’s simple. Get rid of her,” Milne allegedly wrote in the email published by The Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday.

Australia’s conservative government has traditionally been at logger heads with the ABC, which it perceives as being left wing, with the relationship souring further this year following a funding cut.

Facing widespread anger, Australia’s government said it would conduct an internal investigation.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison denied his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull sought to influence the ABC.

“If they make mistakes and it’s alright for people to call them out on that,” Morrison told reporters in Beerwah, 75 kms (46.6 miles) north of the Queensland’s state capital Brisbane.

“But the idea that the government has somehow got some list and is telling the ABC who should work there and who shouldn’t. That’s complete rubbish.”</s>The chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has stepped down amid allegations that he ordered the firing of journalists deemed too critical of the government.

Justin Milne resigned his post as the head of the independent, government-funded network after "his board turned against him and staff threatened to walk off the job," The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

In May, Milne reportedly emailed ABC's managing director, Michelle Guthrie, insisting that Emma Alberici, the network's chief economics correspondent, be fired after complaints about her coverage from then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"They [the government] hate her," Milne reportedly wrote.

"We are tarred with her brush. I think it's simple. Get rid of her," Milne wrote to Guthrie, according to Fairfax Media. "We need to save the ABC - not Emma. There is no guarantee they [Turnbull's Coalition] will lose the next election."

Milne and Turnbull, who was ousted amid inter-party wrangling in August, are described by Australian media as "long-term [friends]."

Separately, another publisher reports that Milne had also ordered the firing of ABC's political editor, Andrew Probyn, due to government criticism.

Guthrie reportedly resisted pressure to get rid of the two journalists.

Turnbull, who has been living in New York since being forced to resign as prime minister, said he had complained about the two journalists, but never asked for their dismissal, according to The Associated Press.

"The bottom line is I've never called for anybody to be fired," he told reporters in New York. "My concern has been on the accuracy and impartiality of reporting."

On Thursday, Milne, a former executive at Australian telecom giant Telstra, described the recent reports as a "firestorm" and said he decided to quit because he "wanted to provide a release valve" for the network.

However, he has denied any wrongdoing. Asked Thursday in an interview with ABC if his resignation was an acknowledgement of a failure to protect the network's independence, Milne responded: "Absolutely 100 percent not."

"In fact I feel that the interests of the ABC have always been uppermost in my mind," he said.

"There was absolutely no interference in the independence of the ABC by the Government," he insisted in the interview. "Nobody from the Government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC."

The day before his resignations, Milne fired Guthrie, ABC's first female managing director, saying that the board of directors had determined it was in the network's best interests to let her go.

Guthrie said her termination was not justified and that she was considering legal options. "At all times I have promoted the ABC's importance to the community, including having to defend and protect the ABC's independence," she said, according to ABC.

According to the AP, "The conservative coalition has long complained of a leftist bias in ABC reporting. But center-left governments have also complained of unbalanced reporting in the past."

Australia's new prime minister, Scott Morrison, tweeted on Thursday that the decision by Milne to step down was "the right call."

Speaking with reporters earlier, Morrison described the allegations against Milne as "very concerning," according to the AP.

However, he added, "the idea that the government has somehow got some list and is telling the ABC who should work there and who shouldn't - that's complete rubbish."</s>The departing chairman of the ABC maintains he never felt heavied into sacking any journalist despite being accused of wanting to appease his friend and former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Justin Milne announced his resignation early on Thursday afternoon, following revelations he had pressured sacked managing director Michelle Guthrie to fire chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici and political editor Andrew Probyn.

He quit less than 18 months into a five-year term after a board meeting was held without him.

The seven other ABC directors suggested he stand aside as the Department of Communications and the Arts investigated claims to sought to have journalists sacked to please the government.

'But I said, 'Well, actually, I think I should resign because clearly there is a lot of pressure on the organisation,' Mr Milne told 7.30 host Leigh Sales.

'It's clearly a thing for everybody to be trying to do their job with this kind of firestorm.'

Mr Milne, however, denied allegations he had sought to have journalists sacked.

'Nobody from the government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC,' he said.

'Nobody ever told me to hire anybody, fire anybody or do anything else.

'I know that's the narrative that's been running in the papers. But that absolutely never happened.'

Those newspaper allegations included The Daily Telegraph's revelation that he had demanded Ms Guthrie sack Canberra-based political editor Andrew Probyn, using the phrase, 'You just have to shoot him' because Mr Turnbull hated him.

It also includes Fairfax Media's report about Mr Milne demanding the sacking of chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici because the government 'hate her'.

Mr Milne resigned on Thursday, a day after this story in The Sydney Morning Herald sparked an ABC staff demonstration, in Sydney and nationally, which passed a Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance trade union resolution that he quit as chairman.

This was despite an ABC review of Ms Alberici's analysis piece, denouncing corporate tax cuts, finding in April that it had contained nine factual errors or omissions, including confusing revenue with profit.

Mr Milne has a longstanding friendship with Mr Turnbull, who appointed him as chairman last year for a five-year term.

The two had previously worked in business together, and Mr Milne was the chief executive of Mr Turnbull's OzEmail internet enterprise during the late 1990s.

This relationship has raised questions about whether Mr Milne had sought to have high-profile journalists sacked who had displeased Mr Turnbull.

However, Mr Milne said: 'There was absolutely no interference in the independence of the ABC by the government.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Communications Minister Mitch Fifield have asked the secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts, Mike Mrdak, to investigate whether Mr Milne had pressured former managing director Michelle Guthrie sack any journalists to please the Coalition government.</s>New York: Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has weighed in on the crisis engulfing ABC chairman Justin Milne, confirming that he did raise concerns with his long-term friend about stories aired by the public broadcaster but denying that he demanded particular journalists be fired.

Speaking to reporters from United Nations headquarters in New York, Mr Turnbull said editorial standards had slipped at the ABC in recent years and that his only concern was correcting inaccurate and unbalanced reporting.

Mr Turnbull would not say whether he thought it was feasible for Mr Milne, whom he appointed ABC chairman last year, to remain in the job following revelations he called for the sacking of economics correspondent Emma Alberici and political editor Andrew Probyn.

"Those are matters for Mr Milne," he said.

Mr Milne and Mr Turnbull became friends during their time together at OzEmail, the internet service provider Mr Turnbull co-founded. Mr Turnbull later appointed Mr Milne to the board of NBN Co.
Justin Milne resigns as chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation following allegations that he interfered in the broadcaster's employment and editorial practices on behalf of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.