Four Corners War Memorial coverage breached impartiality rules
ACMA found Four Corners unfairly favored one side of the War Memorial redevelopment debate.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority found that ABC's Four Corners broke impartiality rules. The episode called Sacrifice aired in March 2025 about the War Memorial redevelopment.
ACMA said the program unfairly favored critics of the project. The program used strong and emotional language and picked interviewees in a way that skewed the story.
The episode did not properly explain findings from an Australian National Audit Office report. The program focused mainly on the report's problems.
ACMA chair Nerida O'Loughlin said investigative journalism must follow the ABC's code of practice. ABC managing director Hugh Marks disagreed with the finding.
He said it could have a chilling effect on investigative journalism.
- Sacrifice
- Episode
- March 10, 2025
- Aired
- Nerida O'Loughlin
- Regulator chair
Why it mattersThis is ACMA's second finding against Four Corners in 2026. It raises questions about editorial standards at the program.
AustraliaThe ruling affects how the ABC's flagship investigative program operates and sets a test for other Australian media outlets on balancing thorough journalism with fair presentation.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 7 d ago
