Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, has responded after the ABC apologised to her over a filmmaker’s on-air attack that even one of the broadcaster’s own presenters described as ‘nasty’.
The ABC sparked outrage after airing a film by Kate McGuinness critical of Mrs Rinehart during the Race Around the World filmmaking competition on July 12.
The competition series follows six aspiring Australian filmmakers as they travel the world to complete 10 short films in 10 countries within 100 days.
McGuinness’ four-minute entry, titled A Very Relaxing Video, took a dramatic turn towards the end when she launched into a foul attack on Mrs Rinehart.
The outburst graphically described assaulting the mining magnate with a stick to ‘make one big sausage roll’.
Guest panellist Leigh Sales was the only one of the show’s three judges to criticise the remarks, calling them ‘nasty’, though she also said she ‘really liked’ the film.
More than four weeks after the episode aired, the ABC issued an apology on Thursday, just days after Mrs Rinehart threatened legal action.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for Mrs Rinehart’s company Hancock Prospecting told the Daily Mail they are waiting to see the ‘long overdue changes to the ABC’s editorial standards’ after the broadcaster’s ‘belated’ apology.
Gina Rinehart has responded to an apology issued by the ABC after a filmmaker’s on-air attack
A film by Kate McGuinness graphically described assaulting the mining magnate with a stick to ‘make one big sausage roll’
ABC managing director Hugh Marks has apologised to Gina Rinehart
‘Such editorial standards need to stop sexual violence and torture until death episodes being shown or depicted in any form against any woman on the ABC, including under the pretence of satire or art or any other cloak,’ they said.
‘Satire needs to be funny, what the ABC approved to be aired for 25 days, in its violent torture until death content, was not.
‘The content shown on the ABC normalised violent torture against a woman till death, and dehumanised an Australian, such that she was worthless and ok to be sexually tortured, should not be and must not be acceptable in our country.
‘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 spokesperson noted that the broadcaster and ABC ombudsmen had stated the program met editorial standards.
‘In some ways this is not surprising, as in the last five years, the ABC ombudsmen have only found that fewer than five per cent of the complaints raised (have) resulted in their finding that the ABC had breached its standards,’ they said.
‘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, and other lack of reasonable editorial standards.’
Pictured, filmmaker Kate McGuinness
Guest panellist Leigh Sales was the only one of the show’s three judges to criticise the remarks, calling them ‘nasty’, though she also said she ‘really liked’ the film
The Hancock Prospecting spokesperson claimed the ombudsman misstated that the episode was ‘not accompanied by any visual depictions of violence’.
‘[This] is not true because of the inclusion of the proposed weapon – sticks – while saying to use sticks to enter Mrs Rinehart’s body in such a way as to kill her, and the video shows a picture of Mrs Rinehart’s head on a stick,’ they said.
‘The internal ABC Ombudsman’s decision that the ABC did not breach ABC Editorial Standards fails all Australian women and the millions of taxpayers who fund the ABC.’
They said there has been ‘ongoing silence’ from ABC’s Chair Kim Williams, Deputy Chair Lisa Caffery and the Board.
‘We await a detailed account in relation to who approved this unacceptable piece to be aired, and who approved the long delay in its removal, which must have been ticked off by those higher up in the ABC, given its high profile in the media and the many complaints,’ the spokesperson said.
‘The buck stops with the heads of the ABC.’
The spokesperson ended by thanking those who had raised concerns about the content.
The Daily Mail has contacted the ABC for comment.
Following criticism of the ‘joke’, the ABC initially defended the film, saying it was ‘intended to be satirical in tone and considered to be editorially justifiable within the context of the program’.
But on Wednesday, ABC managing director Hugh Marks issued an apology for the film referencing Mrs Rinehart in the broadcaster’s Race Around the World.
‘While the Ombudsman has found that the film did not breach the ABC’s editorial policies, the ABC acknowledges the episode has fallen short of community expectations,’ he said.
‘The ABC apologises to Mrs Rinehart and to anyone else affected or upset by the publication of the film.
‘As part of our review of this matter, we have considered whether the guidance in the ABC Editorial Policies adequately reflects current community expectations.
‘We have also considered whether the relevant guidance sufficiently distinguishes between news and non-news content.
‘As a result, the ABC will amend its guidance as it applies to violence. The film has been edited on the ABC’s platforms to remove the relevant material.’
