Quarterly Summary: 1 July to 30 September 2021
This report provides information about audience complaints finalised by ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs between 1 July and 30 September 2021.
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.
1958 (2034) 906 (974) 411 (474) 341 (391)
61 (67) 9 (16)
Audience and Consumer Affairs investigated 411 complaints (474 issues) and provided responses to 122 complaints that did not require investigation. The unit referred 544 complaints to other areas of the ABC for direct response (including 479 editorial complaints). No substantive response was required for 881 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 July-September 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 21 days 70%
Investigated complaints 24 days 63%
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 12 October 2021 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 193 71 43 39
Bias Anti ALP 43 22 16 15
Anti Coalition 109 45 46 42
Anti-government 104 25 21 14
Anti-opposition 3
International coverage 120 39 31 23
Other 304 101 55 38 3 7.9%
Other political (domestic) 73 30 10 9
Pro ALP 19 2
Pro Coalition 30 5 2 1
Pro-government 12 6
Religious or cultural 23 4 2
Sports coverage or commentary 11 5 1
Pro-opposition 1
Customer service / complaints handling N/A 23 2 6 1
Factual inaccuracy N/A 411 303 164 145 58 40.0% 7 4.8%
Failure to disclose N/A 21 17 13 12 2 16.7%
Inappropriate content Bad example 34 18 1 1
Bad language /profanity / swearing 31 16 20 9 1 11.1%
Death and suicide 4 2 2 1 1 100.0%
Drugs / smoking / alcohol 2 1
Graphic content 9 4 7 3
Nudity 9 6 7 5
Offence to religious feeling 10 6 4 1
Other 33 24 14 9 1 11.1% 2 22.2%
Sex and sexuality 23 4 14 2
Supernatural or horror themes 3 2
Treatment of animals 16 12 10 9
Violence 9 2 5 1
Poor taste 2 2 1 1
Incidental advertising - Non ABC
products / logos N/A 30 24 10 9
Intrusiveness / invasion of privacy N/A 3 3 2 2 2 100.0%
Management issues N/A 2
News values Not enough coverage 1
Other 4 1
Other Other 7 3 4 1
Quality - general N/A 1
Sensitivity and portrayal N/A 11 7 6 3 1 33.3%
Standards of interviewing Too easy on guest 1
Too tough / aggressive / rude to guest 2
Standards of presentation Other 4
Language - poor terminology / misuse of word 2
Standards of reporting Inappropriate style of coverage 5 3
Other 2
Poor context / research / background 1 Choice of guest or interviewee 2
Unfair treatment Defamation 4 3
Denigration 36 22 6 4
Discrimination 23 11 3 1
Other 41 18 10 6 1 16.7%
Racism 136 91 66 65 1 1.5% 3 4.6%
Sexism 31 14 3 2
Grand Total 2034 974 607 474 67 14.1% 16 3.4%
% 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 474 complaint issues. Of these, 16 issues (9 complaints) were upheld and 67 issues (61 complaints) were resolved.
