The Retirement Living Council has told the ABC its “campaign” against the retirement living sector is clearly in breach of the taxpayer-funded broadcaster’s Editorial Policies, Principles and Standards, particularly in relation to impartiality and the requirement to provide a diversity of perspectives.
In correspondence to Justin Stevens, ABC Director (News, Analysis and Investigations), the retirement living’s peak body addressed three central claims in the 7.30 broadcasts, radio interviews and internet and social media stories heavily critical of the retirement living sector.
The central claims the RLC addressed: retirement living is a bad “investment”; the industry is “loosely regulated”, and there are “systemic” issues in the retirement living sector.
“It has become abundantly clear that this series has escalated into an activist campaign that has abandoned the ABC’s obligations to impartiality and perspective,” Executive Director Daniel Gannon writes.
“As a result, we no longer have confidence in the ABC’s ability to present a fair and accurate picture of the retirement living sector as it continues to pursue a one-sided campaign. In your journalists’ own words, the ABC itself is now “calling for” “profound changes” and is encouraging its audience to write to members of parliament as part of a “concerted push” to increase regulation in the retirement living sector.”
It has stated it will “continue to cooperate with the ABC to the best of our ability.”
