Media Watch Correspondences Concerning ACON
Dear Australian Broadcasting Corporation,
This is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act.
Please disclose any correspondences between any Media Watch producer and any of the following individuals: Katherine Deves, Kat Karena, Kit Kowalski, and Rachael Wong. Also any correspondences between any Media Watch producer and the organisation ACON Exposed.
Yours faithfully,
Eleanor Evans
FOI 202223-026
Dear Ms Evans
We refer to your email sent on 25 November 2022 seeking under the Freedom of Information Act (Cth) 1982 (the FOI Act):
... any correspondences between any Media Watch producer and any of the following individuals: Katherine Deves, Kat Karena, Kit Kowalski, and Rachael Wong. Also any correspondences between any Media Watch producer and the organisation ACON Exposed.
The ABC is required to make a decision on your request by Wednesday 28 December 2022, subject to any extension of time for consulting with third parties or as otherwise agreed. The ABC will advise you if any processing charges apply.
By making an FOI request, you are providing personal information to the ABC. The ABC manages personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy - available at http://about.abc.net.au/abc-privacy-poli.... Personal information may be disclosed in the course of processing this request, such as for the purposes of consultation or internal reporting.
We will consider your request in accordance with the FOI Act and provide you with a decision as soon as practicable.
Many thanks
FOI team, ABC Legal
13 9994
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
This email, including any attachments, is intended only for the addressee. It is confidential and may contain privileged information. You should not read, copy, use or disclose it, or take any other action in reliance of the information contained in this email, without authorisation. If you have received the email in error, please immediately let the sender know by separate email or telephone and delete the email from your system.
FOI 202223-026
Dear Ms Evans
Attached is the ABC’s decision about your freedom of information request.
Many thanks,
FOI team
ABC Legal
This email, including any attachments, is intended only for the addressee.
It is confidential and may contain privileged information. You should not
read, copy, use or disclose it, or take any other action in reliance of
the information contained in this email, without authorisation. If you
have received the email in error, please immediately let the sender know
by separate email or telephone and delete the email from your system.
Dear Australian Broadcasting Corporation,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Australian Broadcasting Corporation's handling of my FOI request 'Media Watch Correspondences Concerning ACON'.
This request was rejected on the grounds of the ABC's exemption from FOI requests in relation to program material. However, the ABC's exemption under the FOI Act is discretionary.
Public claims have been made by various anti-trans activists, including unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves, that they directly communicated with the producers of Media Watch in the production of the November episode "ACON and the ABC". These individuals are fundamentally opposed to the human rights of a marginalised community, and present a serious danger to that community. Their alleged influence on Media Watch's output directly contravenes several sections of the ABC's Editorial Guidelines and Editorial Policies. Therefore, if their claims are true and they did influence Media Watch, it is in both the public interest and the interest of the ABC that the exact nature of their communications be disclosed.
In the ABC's initial response to my request, the existence of these communications was implicitly confirmed by the statement that documents were found but were considered "program material".
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/m...
Yours faithfully,
Eleanor Evans
Thank you for your email. The ABC annual shutdown period means that the
FOI team is on leave. We will respond to you after 5 January 2023. Please
note that other ABC staff may be on extended leave until late January
2023, so there may be some delay with progressing FOI requests until we
are able to have their input. We appreciate your understanding.
Dear Ms Evans,
I believe there may have been an issue with delivery of previous email
advising you of my internal review decision in this matter.
I have forwarded the email chain and attach my decision.
Kind regards
Vanessa
From: Vanessa MacBean
Sent: Monday, 23 January 2023 5:24 PM
To: foi+reguest-9609- <[email address]>
Subject: Internal Review - Internal Review of FOI 202223-026
Dear Ms Evans,
Please find attached my internal review in this matter.
Kind regards
Vanessa
[1]ABC Vanessa MacBean
Head, Employee Relations
People & Culture
P: 61 8333 2855
M: 0408 253 570
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the
First Australians
and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and
work.