MEAA on Lateline axing

The decision of ABC TV to axe its Lateline program is an indication of the changing nature of television news and current affairs. An outstanding, award-winning program, Lateline has enjoyed an enviable record for producing journalism of the highest quality.

MEAA Media section director Katelin McInerney says: “It is a sad day for both journalists and audiences when such a respected, long-running program ends. MEAA notes the ABC has said it is redeploying the hard-working and experienced team at Lateline into other areas of the organisation, where they can continue the great job they do, and add their expertise to bolster areas that have been under-resourced.

“However, MEAA fears more changes are expected and this may mean job losses. While MEAA will work to save jobs at the ABC, it’s important to remember that the ABC continues to be grossly underfunded. This lack of proper resourcing means the ABC constantly struggles to perform its vital role in our public discourse. That places immense strain on the journalists and content makers producing the quality content that Australians rely on from their public broadcaster.

“MEAA calls on the Government to acknowledge that the changing media environment means that properly funded public broadcasters play a vital role in our communities and for our democracy, and that budget allocations for the public broadcasters must be restored and increased,” McInerney said.