An independent review commissioned by the ABC has found the broadcaster 'favoured Labor' and lacked conservative voices in some of its coverage leading up to the 2019 federal election.
The report, tabled to parliament on Thursday, acknowledged 'potential problems of imbalance' on some panel shows, but found the ABC's news coverage 'consistently reflected a diversity of perspectives and covered a broad range of policy and campaign issues'.
The ABC had attempted to stop the report from being released but was forced to turn over the document as part of a Senate order.
An independent review commissioned by the ABC has found the broadcaster 'favoured Labor' and lacked conservative voices. Pictured: ABC offices in Ultimo
The ABC had attempted to stop the report from being released but were forced to turn over the document as part of a Senate order (ABC chair, Ita Buttrose pictured left and Insiders host David Spears pictured right)
Renowned British journalist Kerry Blackburn was tasked with analysing five episodes of The Drum, four editions Insiders as well as a host of digital articles, radio segments and news broadcasts.
'Prominent conservative voices in Australia have argued that the ABC is left-leaning in its news and current affairs output,' the ITN, BBC and Channel Five veteran said.
'At first analysis, the review identified potential problems of imbalance across some significant segments of ABC content: to borrow from Barnaby Joyce, "it was Labor, Labor, Labor".
'But that was hardly surprising given the slimness of the government’s policy package and its campaign focus of attacking Labor, contrasted with Labor’s significant raft of policy and spending promises.'
Three out of five episodes of the Drum were found to have 'predominance of views which favoured Labor and/or the ideas and policies most often associated with the Left of politics'.
Mr Blackburn said the weekly Insiders programs were found to have been 'conducted fairly' and to have covered an appropriate range of topics.
But one of the biggest criticisms of the tax-payer funded network was that a consensus had developed around the idea that Bill Shorten would be 'getting the keys to the Lodge' - even if nobody came right out and said so.
The graphic shows the amount of time and favourability given to each political agenda on ABC's The Drum on May 6, 2019
The graphic shows the amount of time and favourability given to each political agenda on ABC's Insiders on May 6, 2019
'Many news stories on the ABC, and elsewhere, started from an assumption that Labor would shortly be in government; there was no other explanation for some of the angles taken,' Blackburn said.
The reviewer even noted two presenter slips which referred to Bill Shorten as the Prime Minister - only one was corrected.
When the election was done and dusted, the Coalition had won in a landslide taking most political commentators on the ABC and other networks by surprise.
Mr Blackburn's review recommends that 'more conservative voices and perspectives should have been included'.
But while Blackburn found faults with some of the coverage he said there was no evidence of bias at the Australian broadcaster.
'ABC content for the most part followed the weight of evidence and was duly impartial. The finding overall is that the content met the impartiality standard,' he said.
Mr Blackburn said the weekly Insiders programs were found to have been 'conducted fairly' and to have covered an appropriate range of topics
Three out of five episodes of the Drum were found to have 'predominance of views which favoured Labor and/or the ideas and policies most often associated with the Left of politics'
In a statement posted to the broadcaster's website, the ABC said it regularly commissions editorial reviews in order to get independent external feedback.
'The ABC takes seriously our editorial standards and statutory responsibilities and knows that as the public broadcaster we are held to a higher standard,' the statement said.
'ABC journalists and presenters were shown to have been fair and accurate in their writing, interviewing and presenting.
'This aligns with analysis of the Share of Voice data and the ABC's own internal monitoring of interviews of politicians, which showed the ABC was meticulous in ensuring that the competing parties were consistently treated in a fair and balanced manner.'
The release of the independent report comes after the minister for communications, Paul Fletcher, wrote to the ABC chair, Ita Buttrose, accusing the broadcaster's flagship program Four Corners of inappropriate reporting.
Former government media adviser Rachelle Miller is pictured entering the 2017 Midwinter Ball with then Human Services Minister Alan Tudge
The Morrison government had been left reeling last month after allegations of bad behaviour and extramarital affairs with female staffers were levelled at two senior liberal MPs - Alan Tudge and Christian Porter.
ABC journalist Louise Milligan faced a backlash from the government and some section of the community claiming her investigative report into the private lives of politicians went too far.
After the fallout from the program, extra scrutiny has been placed on the ABC.
Ms Buttrose and the managing director of the broadcaster, David Anderson, expressed their strong objection to the internal review being made public.
In a letter to president of the Senate, Scott Ryan, they wrote the release would hinder the 'free exchange of ideas'.
'There is a public interest in the ABC being able to deliberate on and develop ideas for its program material in a confidential way,' Buttrose wrote to Ryan on Thursday, the Guardian reported.
'Public discussion on its internal deliberations on program material will hinder the free exchange of ideas about program material, and this is to the detriment of the public interest.'
Prime Minister Scott Morrison appointed Ms Buttrose as chair of the ABC last year. Ms Buttrose said younger generations lacked the resilience of hers
