The first mass job cuts at the ABC since 2020 will heavily impact the corporation’s arts coverage and, some argue, may put the corporation in breach of its own Charter, which requires it to “encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia”.
Overall, the ABC has flagged 120 redundancies across the organisation. The cuts will land heavily on arts coverage with two of corporation’s senior arts editors made redundant and the reporting team distributed among news and a newly created Arts, Music and Events department. It marks the end of an online editorial dedicated solely to arts coverage.
The ABC’s Ultimo Studio, Sydney. Photo WikiCommons
According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, the ABC’s dedicated online arts team (led until now by editor Dee Jefferson) will now be “managed from the Digital Innovation team … ABC sources said that meant journalists from the general reporting pool will be expected to generate occasional arts stories, but without a specialist editor.”
The loss of Jefferson’s particular expertise – honed over two decades under several mastheads – has been widely commented on.
“I don’t know another person as wholeheartedly dedicated...
I think this is appalling. The ABC has always been a major supporter and promoter of the arts but clearly no longer cares about them. Those of us who do are left high and dry. Then there is the bad decision to cancel Stste-based TV news on Sunday, following the dreadful decision to cancel the 7.45 am radio news bulletin. The ABC does not care about its most loyal supporters. Many of us just want to listen to the radio & watch TV, not follow everything on digital platforms.
The kids are in charge! Everything on app or social media, nothing scheduled, and no editors – Political or Arts – to throw in some wisdom.
This is not just about government meanness, this is management incompetence.