Quarterly Summary: 1 January to 31 March 2022
This report provides information about audience complaints finalised by ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs between 1 January and 31 March 2022.
The focus of Audience and Consumer Affairs is on editorial complaints. Where a written complaint suggests that the ABC may have breached its Editorial Policies or Code of Practice, Audience and Consumer Affairs may investigate the complaint and determine whether ABC editorial standards have been met. Where the matters raised are less serious, Audience and Consumer Affairs may refer the complaint for direct handling to the content area
responsible. In cases where a complaint is investigated and the ABC’s editorial standards have not been met, the complaint will be upheld (either fully or in part). Complaints can also be resolved where prompt action is taken to remedy a matter. Details of both upheld and resolved complaints are published on our website. Audience and Consumer Affairs previously also handled non editorial complaints and other contacts such as requests, suggestions and appreciations; these are now handled by a separate ABC team and those statistics are no longer reported by Audience and Consumer Affairs. Accordingly, the numbers published in Audience and Consumer Affairs quarterly summaries from the October to December 2018 period onwards are lower than in earlier reports.
This report outlines:
▪ how complaints were handled;
▪ the timeliness of responses;
▪ the subject matter of complaints finalised;
▪ the number of complaints upheld; and
▪ the number of complaints resolved.
Summary details of all complaints upheld by ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs are available at http://about.abc.net.au/talk-to-the-abc/feedback-and-enquiries/upheld-complaints/ and summary details of all resolved complaints are available at http://about.abc.net.au/talk-to- the-abc/resolved-complaints/.
For more information about the role of Audience and Consumer Affairs, refer to the ABC’s Complaint Handling Procedures available here –
http://about.abc.net.au/reports-publications/complaint-handling-procedures/.
1. Overview of complaints finalised: how many and how did we deal with them?
Potential editorial complaints are referred to Audience and Consumer Affairs who conduct an initial assessment to identify those that do raise editorial issues. Audience and Consumer Affairs then further assess these editorial complaints to determine which will be accepted for investigation by the unit, in accordance with the Complaint Handling Procedures.
Audience and Consumer Affairs may exercise its discretion to refer editorial complaints to content teams for direct response.
Audience and Consumer Affairs investigated 479 complaints (526 issues) and provided responses to 93 complaints that did not require investigation. The unit referred 506 complaints to other areas of the ABC for direct response (including 422 editorial complaints). No substantive response was required for 585 complaints.
2. Timeliness of responses
Audience and Consumer Affairs seeks to respond to all complaints as quickly as possible, and aims to respond within 30 days of receipt, in accordance with the timeliness standard for complaint handling that is specified in the ABC’s Complaint Handling Procedures. Due to the volume of correspondence we receive, and the complex nature of some complaints, responses may at times take longer than 30 days.
During the January-March quarter, the majority of responses were provided within the specified 30 day period.
Type of contact Average response time
% of responses provided within 30 days
All complaints 17 days 88%
Investigated complaints 18 days 87%
3. Subject matter and outcomes of complaints finalised
A single complaint to the ABC can raise more than one issue. Audience and Consumer Affairs aim to categorise each significant issue raised in the complaints received, based on the description provided by the complainant. The following table counts the number of issues raised in complaint contacts finalised by Audience and Consumer Affairs during the quarter, and shows how they were dealt with and their outcomes.
In each case where a complaint is upheld Audience and Consumer Affairs provides a written response to the complainant acknowledging the error. Details of each upheld complaint are also published in summary form on the ABC website. Where appropriate, additional action is taken to rectify the mistake and/or ensure that the problem does not recur. Actions taken in response to upheld complaints can include the following: written apologies to complainants; on-air corrections and apologies; counselling or reprimanding of staff;
Report published 29 April 2022 and correct at time of publication. Any subsequent minor amendments to data will not be reflected in this report. Updated statistics are published in the ABC Annual Report at http://about.abc.net.au/how-the-abc-is- run/reports-and-publications/
amending programs for future broadcasts; and reviews of and improvements to procedures.
On occasion, a complaint may be upheld for more than one reason. Where possible and relevant, the corrective action taken is reported in the online summary of the upheld complaint.
The Complaint Handling Procedures provide that a complaint may be regarded as resolved where the relevant area of the ABC takes steps to remedy the cause of complaint usually prior to or within 30 days of the ABC receiving the complaint, and the steps are considered by Audience and Consumer Affairs to be appropriate such that further processes to uphold, partly uphold or not uphold would add nothing of substance.
Category Subcategory
Editorial issues
Balance N/A 72 36 11 9
Bias Anti ALP 300 247 233 231
Anti Coalition 38 10 8 7
Anti-government 76 21 18 14
Anti-opposition 2 2
International coverage 108 47 36 34 1 2.9%
Other 175 89 57 51 3 5.9%
Other political (domestic) 22 13 5 5
Pro ALP 25 7 4 4
Pro Coalition 32 6 1
Pro-government 23 13 2 2
Religious or cultural 30 15 10 7
Sports coverage or commentary 14 9
Customer service / complaints handling N/A 16 2
Factual inaccuracy N/A 285 213 96 82 29 35.4% 5 6.1%
Failure to disclose N/A 7 6 2 2
Inappropriate content Bad example 43 11 2 2 2 100.0%
Bad language /profanity / swearing 21 5 12 1 1 100.0%
Death and suicide 6 5 6 5
Drugs / smoking / alcohol 3 1
Graphic content 23 15 14 11 2 18.2%
Offence to religious feeling 15 10 3 2
Other 61 29 18 8 3 37.5%
Poor taste 2 2
Sex and sexuality 17 3 12 2
Treatment of animals 13 4 6 1
Violence 12 7 9 5 1 20.0%
Incidental advertising - Non ABC
products / logos N/A 16 12 4 3
Intrusiveness / invasion of privacy N/A 5 5 2 2
Management issues N/A 1
News values Not enough coverage 4
Other 3
Poor choice for coverage 11
Other Other 4 2 2 2
Promotions - ABC programs and
products Not as advertised / misleading / inconsistent 1
Quality - general N/A 4
Sensitivity and portrayal N/A 58 22 2 1
Standards of interviewing Other 1
Poor context / research / background 1 Too tough / aggressive / rude to guest 1
Standards of presentation Other 1
Standards of reporting Choice of guest or interviewee 1
Inappropriate style of coverage 5 1
Other 3 1
Poor context / research / background 2
Unfair treatment Defamation 3
Denigration 25 10 5 1
Discrimination 12 10 4 3 2 66.7%
Other 37 22 7 6
Racism 26 13 5 3 2 66.7%
Sexism 47 35 21 20 18 90.0%
Grand Total 1713 959 619 526 38 7.2% 31 5.9%
% of investigated
complaints upheld Total
issues closed
Issues responded
to by ACA
Issues investigated
by ACA
Total issues resolved
% of investigated
complaints resolved
Total issues upheld
Audience and Consumer Affairs investigated 526 complaint issues. Of these, 31 issues (17 complaints) were upheld and 38 issues (33 complaints) were resolved.
