ABC updates comedy guidance following Rinehart joke controversy
Former editorial director Alan Sunderland warns the move risks creating a “comedy no-go zone” for the network.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is updating its non-binding guidance for program makers to advise against making jokes about violent acts against individuals. The adjustment follows a controversy surrounding a segment from the show Race Around the World that featured a joke targeting Gina Rinehart.
The ABC maintains that its 13 existing editorial policies, including the policy on harm and offence, remain unchanged. The update is intended to advise program makers on how to follow these policies rather than enforce new rules. This guidance is attributed to recent comments made by ABC managing director Hugh Marks.
The segment in question has been edited and removed from the ABC’s platform. Apologies have been issued by both the film-maker responsible for the comments and the ABC. The film-maker acknowledged that the joke went too far, while the broadcaster joined in the apology.
Former ABC editorial director Alan Sunderland has published an opinion piece arguing that the new guidance risks creating a "comedy no-go zone" for the network. Sunderland, who also served as news editor at SBS, contends that the ABC does not need to change its editorial policies to separate violence and humour.
Sunderland notes that while he did not find the specific Rinehart joke funny, the network has a long history of satirising the powerful. He references historical ABC content, such as a 1980s Gillies Report parody involving Gough Whitlam, to illustrate the network's tradition of edgy satire.
The article highlights that while extreme examples of violent humour rarely fare well, the concept of violence is broad and vague. Sunderland warns that if the ABC misinterprets the boundaries of comedy, it could result in a more anodyne broadcasting environment.
The updated guidance serves as a non-binding recommendation. Sunderland argues that creating a no-go zone for comedy and entertainment programs could stifle the ABC's tradition of mocking the powerful, a practice that has defined much of its programming history.
