Key facts
- Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal wants a new oversight committee for ABC and SBS Israel coverage.
- Segal stated the Jewish community perceives coverage as unbalanced and disproportionately focused on Gaza.
- She suggested an independent regulator could provide 'guidance' on reporting, similar to the UK's Ofcom.
- The ABC noted that Middle East coverage generates the most complaints, with perceptions of bias stemming from community views.
- Segal cited an ABC error in reporting Gaza baby death projections and SBS's use of Gaza health ministry statistics as examples of problematic coverage.
Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal has called for an independent oversight committee to vet the Israel coverage of Australian public broadcasters ABC and SBS. Speaking at a royal commission on Thursday, Segal stated that there is a "common and pervasive perception" within the Jewish community that the broadcasters' reporting on the Middle East war lacks balance, overemphasizes Gaza, and disproportionately amplifies anti-Israel perspectives.
Segal suggested that an independent regulator, similar to the UK's Ofcom, could provide a "tick" or "guidance" on coverage. She noted that Jewish Australians are reportedly more frustrated with the existing media watchdog, the Australian Media and Communications Authority (Acma), than with the ABC itself.
The ABC, in a statement, acknowledged that Middle East coverage generates more complaints than any other topic. The broadcaster stated that in the latter half of 2025, 51% of complaints claimed its Israel-Gaza coverage was broadly pro-Palestinian, while 47% claimed it was broadly pro-Israel, indicating that perceptions of bias stem from strongly held community views rather than editorial favoritism. The ABC also noted that no complaints of bias had been upheld by its ombudsman or investigated by Acma, though five breaches of editorial standards had been found.
Segal pointed to specific examples of problematic coverage, including an ABC report that inaccurately projected a high number of baby deaths in Gaza and SBS's use of statistics from the Gaza health ministry, which she described as "grossly inflated." She argued that inaccurate reporting on Israel's actions, particularly when it paints Israel in a negative light, contributes to antisemitism in Australia.