‘Fails all Australian women’: Hancock hits out at ABC despite apology
Updated . First published
Gina Rinehart’s mining company has accused the ABC of dehumanising her after it aired a segment on a travel show which included a contestant’s controversial mocking of her.
The Hancock Prospecting statement called for the broadcaster’s standards to be improved, despite the ABC Ombudsman saying the Race Across the World show didn’t breach editorial standards.
The ABC has apologised to Gina Rinehart over a short film that referenced the country’s richest person. Getty
The statement, reported the Sydney Morning Herald said the ombudsman’s decision “fails all Australian women and the millions of taxpayers who fund the ABC”.
“It should not be surprising that these standards need significant improvement, if taxpayers are expected to think it is OK to meet the ABC’s lavish expenditure and OK to have dehumanising content of any Australian woman, such that it is OK to be sexually tortured until death,” it said.
“This concept that a woman can be regarded as worthless, (even if she has contributed hugely to a country), so it’s OK to sexually torture her to death, is not a new concept.
’It is practised by terrorists and has been practised elsewhere in the world, and must never be regarded as art, or acceptable in our country, even by the ABC.”
The ABC apologised to Rinehart last week over the short film, despite its complaints handling body finding it did not breach editorial standards.
ABC managing director Hugh Marks on Thursday said the episode had “fallen short of community expectations”.
“The ABC apologises to Mrs Rinehart and to anyone else affected or upset by the publication of the film,” he said in a statement.
In the short film titled A Very Relaxing Video aired during the July 12 episode, which sees contestants travel the world and film themselves, contestant Kate McGuinness referenced Rinehart.
“When the revolution comes, will you hide under the bed or will you know exactly how to shove a stick right up Gina Rinehart’s butt hole, stirring it round, mixing her guts up nice and smooth, to make one big sausage roll to make something out of nothing,” she said.
The remarks on the show were heavily criticised by federal politicians, with Communications Minister Anika Wells telling reporters on Thursday the episode was unacceptable.
Rinehart threatened to launch legal action against the broadcaster unless the content was removed from all platforms, claiming it posed a “serious risk” to her.
The ABC Ombudsman received an initial eight complaints and then, following media reporting about the episode, another 988.
Its investigation has found the episode did not breach editorial policies and that “a reasonable audience member would be likely to understand the remarks as part of a satirical and exaggerated commentary rather than as a genuine call for, endorsement of, or encouragement of violence”.
“In that context, the satirical treatment provided sufficient editorial justification for the content, and the segment did not breach the ABC Editorial Standards relating to harm and offence,” the ombudsman found.
Despite that, the episode has been edited on the ABC’s platforms to remove the reference to Rinehart.
Marks said the broadcaster will also amend its guidance around violence anyway.
ABC managing director Hugh Marks apologised on behalf of the broadcaster. Alex Ellinghausen
McGuinness had previously issued an apology for the remark she made in her short film, saying the sense of humour that was featured was farcical.
“In no way was it my intention to promote violence. My writing is cartoonish and always satirical,” she said.
“Unfortunately, jokes do not land with everyone. Its purpose was never to be taken literally. I apologise to anyone I’ve offended.”
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