Politics · Australia · 18 hrs ago
MEAA says ABC has not ruled out discipline for journalist over opinion piece
Michael Slezak is an ABC climate journalist and the elected federal president of the journalists’ union, the MEAA.
He wrote an opinion piece for the Australian Financial Review about a proposal to limit journalists’ access to some personal information about company directors.
The union is campaigning against the proposal, which was made by Australia’s corporate regulator, ASIC.
ABC managers met with Slezak to discuss the broadcaster’s rules on outside work and public comment.
The MEAA says the managers raised the possibility of a breach and would not rule out disciplinary action, including dismissal.
The ABC says the rules help protect its reputation and that managers are working to ensure staff understand how they apply.
The union has asked ABC leaders to confirm Slezak will not face discipline, and union members are due to meet to discuss a response.
The MEAA says ABC management refused to rule out disciplinary action, including dismissal, against journalist Michael Slezak over an opinion piece.
Slezak wrote the piece for the Australian Financial Review in his role as federal president of the MEAA.
The article concerned an ASIC proposal to restrict journalists’ access to some information about company directors.
The ABC said its guidelines for external work and public comment help protect the broadcaster’s reputation.
The MEAA says Slezak’s agreement with the ABC allows him to make public comments on behalf of journalists in his union role.
- Who
- Michael Slezak, an ABC climate journalist and MEAA federal president, is at the centre of the dispute. The MEAA says ABC management may discipline him.
- What
- The dispute concerns an opinion piece Slezak wrote for the Australian Financial Review and whether it complied with ABC policies.
- When
- Slezak met ABC news executives last week. The MEAA described the dispute in a letter to members on Monday.
- Where
- The meeting was at the ABC, and the opinion piece appeared in the Australian Financial Review. The sources do not state the meeting’s location.
- Why
- The article addressed an ASIC proposal to restrict journalists’ access to information about company directors. ABC executives discussed Slezak’s adherence to the broadcaster’s external work policy.
MEAA
ABC management
Disciplinary action
MEAA
The MEAA says ABC executives refused to rule out disciplinary action, including dismissal.
ABC management
The ABC did not state whether Slezak would face discipline; it said its guidelines protect the broadcaster’s reputation.
Slezak’s union role
MEAA
The MEAA says his agreement with the ABC allows him to make public comments on behalf of journalists in his union role.
ABC management
ABC news executives raised whether his article may have breached the external work policy and code of conduct.
Slezak met with ABC news director Simon Robinson and head of digital and national news Lee Glendinning to discuss the external work policy.
The MEAA wrote to ABC union members about the meeting and called on ABC leaders to confirm Slezak would not face disciplinary action.
MEAA members were due to meet to discuss a collective response.
- Journalist
- Michael Slezak
- Union role
- Federal president of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
- Opinion piece outlet
- Australian Financial Review
- Article topic
- ASIC proposal to restrict journalists’ access to some company directors’ information
- Open-letter signatories
- 197 ABC union members as of Monday afternoon
What people are saying
Championing our right to information is something we expect Michael to do and be allowed to do without hindrance,
The guidelines for external work and public comment were important in protecting the reputation of the ABC.
They refused to rule out disciplinary action, including dismissal.
Sources
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