The departure of David Armstrong as the managing director of the ABC is not surprising given that he was another management type trying to manage a news organisation and realising at last that weasel words and public relations do not really work when it comes to journalism.
In the past, the ABC has been at the forefront of producing simple, but effective journalism, be it for the small screen or radio. That has meant displeasing a lot of people, especially those on the right side of politics, who tend to apparently believe the fact that when government money supports an organisation, its services can be used for self-aggrandisement.
It is telling that none of the top three managers in the ABC has ever worked as a journalist. Justin Stevens has been a producer, Anderson is a management man, and Kim Williams has no experience in the trade either. Continue reading “The ABC needs a journalist to head the organisation”