The Decline of the ABC

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), once a trusted pillar of public life, is increasingly drawing criticism for editorial conduct many now view as deeply partisan and corrosive to informed democratic debate. Its handling of antisemitism—one of the most urgent and sensitive issues in contemporary Australian society—is becoming indefensible.

This was again laid bare during the 10 July 2025 edition of 7.30, hosted by Sarah Ferguson, in which Jillian Segal—Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism—was given anything but a fair hearing. Segal, a respected lawyer and business leader, was appointed in 2024 to address the unprecedented rise in antisemitism across the country. Her proposals are measured, serious, and long overdue: including tougher penalties for hate crimes and oversight mechanisms to ensure public institutions fulfil their obligations.

Yet Ferguson, rather than allowing Segal to present her case and inform the public, adopted a confrontational posture more befitting a political adversary than a public servant appointed to address a national crisis. Would another eminent Australian—Sir Peter Cosgrove, for instance—have been treated in such a manner while assisting Queensland’s recovery after Cyclone Larry in 2006?

Ferguson’s conduct was not only unprofessional, it was also a missed opportunity. Viewers—many of whom are grappling with growing unease about antisemitism—would have benefitted from hearing directly from Ms Segal. Appointed by our elected government, her role carries national weight. Her perspective, grounded in broad consultation and policy development, deserved to be heard respectfully. I suspect many Australians tuned in hoping to learn more. What they received instead was an exercise in editorial disdain.

A dear friend of mine—an interfaith leader and descendant of Holocaust survivors—was so disturbed by Ferguson’s 7.30 interview that she penned an open letter. She wrote: “Rather than allowing Jillian to inform the listeners of her proposal, you went into attack mode immediately… You are not serving the public by your biased attitudes dominating a discussion that could have informed your listeners.”