- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
Again, that criticism only came up during the Abbott years. The whole focus of the programme is for ordinary people to question various leaders of society on issues that they feel strongly about, and to the ABC's credit, the show draws on a really broad range of commentators instead of just focusing on one niche area, like politics. But the Abbott government was extraordinarily dysfunctional and deeply unpopular, and so it was easier for them to claim that the ABC is biased than to actually address their critics (because to Abbott, acknowledging your critics meant admitting that you were wrong, and the modern Liberal mindset is that the only thing worse than admitting that you're wrong is being caught is bed with a dead woman or a live animal). I have met several dedicated Liberal voters who genuinely believe that as a taxpayer-funded station, the ABC should only broadcast pro-government stories (but are aghast at the idea that this is propaganda).I do think the show cops a lot of slack because the audience is profoundly left and is intimating for those that come against it, which is unfortunate.
Besides, would it really be so bad if the ABC adopted a left-leaning stance as a matter of policy? The media is flooded with right-wing publications and broadcasters, albeit private ones. There needs to be an alternative viewpoint somewhere.