Labor won’t scrap ABC and SBS ombudsmen in favour of external body as suggested by antisemitism envoy

The Albanese government won’t follow a suggestion by the antisemitism envoy to scrap the ABC and SBS ombudsmen and replace them with an external oversight body.

In a list of updated priorities released last month, Segal proposed an “external independent ombudsman” to monitor ABC and SBS coverage of the war in Gaza and to ensure publicly funded broadcasters were “held accountable to their own stated standards of accuracy and impartiality”.

“Many in the Jewish community remain concerned that coverage they perceive as one-directional may contribute to a negative – and even hostile – view by audiences of those who support Israel, or have sympathy for it,” Segal said in her updated plan to combat antisemitism.

Segal said the government should consider “transferring” responsibilities from the ABC and SBS ombudsmen to an “external independent ombudsman consistent with other sectors such as telecommunications and banking”.

The ABC said at the time its complaints process was “the most robust and transparent in the Australian media” and both broadcasters stated they were subject to external review by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma).

This week, government sources noted that Acma already acted as an external independent regulator that could investigate complaints if they needed to be escalated beyond the ABC and SBS ombudsmen.

A spokesperson for the federal communications minister, Anika Wells, on Wednesday thanked Segal for her work and said there was no place for antisemitism in Australia.

It was an evil “that tears at the fabric of our country … [and] puts the peaceful, free and equal society we cherish at risk”, they said.

It is understood Labor could consider changes in response to recommendations from the royal commission into antisemitism that’s scheduled to report in mid-December. The commission, headed by former high court judge Virgina Bell, was established after the antisemitic Bondi beach massacre in December 2025.

“The government will soon receive the final report from the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion,” Wells’ spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“[It] will continue to work with the special envoy, the Jewish community and all Australians to combat antisemitism and strengthen our social cohesion.”

Segal’s latest suggestion regarding the ABC and SBS received a mixed response a fortnight ago.

Alex Ryvchin, the co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, welcomed Segal’s suggestions, warning meaningful oversight of coverage by public broadcasters could only be achieved “through external accountability”.

But the progressive Jewish Council of Australia criticised the envoy’s new plan as “Trumpian”, arguing it threatened freedom of speech and democratic rights.

The Australian Palestine Advocacy Network criticised attempts to conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism and stated: “Speaking out against Israel’s ongoing atrocities is the prerogative of anyone who believes in human dignity and human rights.”

Segal in October wrote that the “independence of public broadcasters must, of course, be protected”.

“That independence, however, does not – and should not – amount to a right to be free from external scrutiny and empirical review. Indeed, ensuring that the processes withstand fair scrutiny can only increase confidence.”

The ABC ombudsman has previously investigated public complaints related to coverage of the Middle East and the war in Gaza, including the Israeli president’s visit to Australia and a press club address by the Israeli ambassador.

ABC Alumni, which represents hundreds of former staff, has said that since October 2023 the ABC ombudsman has upheld four out of thousands of complaints of bias or inaccuracy relating to Middle East coverage.

Acma, “to which dissatisfied complainants can appeal, has upheld none,” the group said in a statement, adding it was “outraged at the continued insistence by Jillian Segal … that the ABC and SBS, Australia’s most trusted news outlets, are contributing to antisemitism”.

In her first report in mid-2025, Segal initially proposed the special envoy be given powers to monitor media organisations to encourage “accurate, fair and responsible reporting” to ensure impartiality and balance and to avoid “accepting false or distorted narratives”.

She then told the royal commission into antisemitism in mid-2026 she wanted a new “oversight” committee that could give ABC and SBS coverage a “tick” or “guidance”.

Segal told Senate estimates this week she was concerned about “the tone [and] the frequency of reporting about Gaza from the ABC”.