Australia's two public broadcasters, SBS and the ABC, have again rejected a proposal from the country's special envoy to combat antisemitism for an external ombudsman to oversee their coverage of Israel and the Middle East, SBS News reports.
Jillian Segal included the idea in an updated roadmap, which also proposes restrictions on face coverings, codes of conduct across organisations, removing public funding from institutions that promote or accept antisemitism, and changes in education. She first raised the ombudsman plan at royal commission hearings in July, accusing the broadcasters of marking their own homework.
Both broadcasters said their existing in-house ombudsmen and complaints systems are sufficient, and media are also regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Segal told ABC radio on Friday that current oversight was not independent enough. The government thanked her for her work.
Source: SBS News
