If you want to make a formal complaint to the ABC…

… it’s easy as er, it’s not that easy at all.

A QUICK PRIMER

You never know, it might do some good. Here’s the best way to do it, we reckon:

Making the complaint

• If it’s a broadcast, note the date, time, program, and station. If it’s online content, note the URL.
  • If you watched a TV broadcast on iView, or listened to a radio broadcast as a podcast, still make your complaint be about the original radio or TV broadcast. That way you’ll be able to refer your complaint on to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) if you get a rubbish response from the ABC – or don’t get a response at all.

• Make your complaint within 6 weeks of the broadcast/posting.
• Use the online complaint form
• Give a name and an email address for yourself. The ABC will ignore an anonymous complaint.
• State explicitly that you’re making a content complaint and you want it dealt with by the ABC
  Ombudsman’s Office.
• State explicitly that you consider that the ABC has breached its Code of Practice/Editorial Standards.
  • State explicitly which code clauses/standards you consider have been breached. When it comes to gender identity ideology, the usual suspects will be accuracy (standards 2.1 and 2.2) and impartiality (standards 4.1-4.5).
• Make and keep a copy of your complaint, for future reference. 

Following Up

• If you don’t get a substantive response from the ABC within 30 days, follow it up.
• If your complaint is about a radio or TV broadcast, and you don’t get a substantive response from the ABC within 60 days:
  • Refer it on to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
  • But ACMA won’t deal with complaints about the ABC’s on-line content.
• If you do get a response, but it’s a rubbish response,
  • and your complaint was about a radio or TV broadcast,
  • refer it on to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
  • If the response comes from an ABC division rather than the Ombudsman, you could also refer it internally to the Ombudsman, but why bother? It’s probably better to take it directly to ACMA.
• If you get a rubbish response from an ABC division (eg News) rather than the Ombudsman about on-line content,
  • refer it to the Ombudsman
  • Do this by sending an email to ombudsmansoffice@abc.net.au within 2 weeks of receiving the response.
    • If you get a rubbish response from the Ombudsman about on-line content,
      that’s the end of the line, sorry.

Further Information

By the way, the ABC has a 6-page booklet about its complaints process, if you really want to get into it.

GOOD LUCK! YOU’LL NEED IT!