ABC dumps diversity groups

Nathan Jolly

April 8, 2026 11:14

The ABC has announced it will end paid memberships with the Australian Disability Network, the Diversity Council of Australia, and Acon Health’s Pride in Diversity program, after continued questions about its editorial independence in matters of diversity and inclusion.

As first reported by The Guardian, the ABC issued an internal announcement this week explaining the partnerships were “no longer providing sufficient value” to the broadcaster. The ABC is reviewing other partnerships to ensure “that our standards of independence are maintained”.

A separate statement issued to Mumbrella by an ABC spokesperson said its “review of workplace partnerships affirmed we are meeting our obligations of editorial independence and impartiality.

“We will always invest in these fundamental principles. The ABC remains committed to diversity and inclusion and will redirect funding to internal initiatives.”

The ABC reportedly had paid a $12,000 annual fee to Acon, which runs the Workplace Equality Index Awards, a benchmarking system that awards points to workplaces based on LGBTQ+ inclusion.

The national broadcaster’s involvement with Acon was the subject of a 2022 Media Watch exposé, which revealed that the broadcaster curried favour with the organisation through a range of point-winning exercises.

These include providing Sydney news presenter Jeremy Fernandez pro bono as an MC of the 2022 Australian LGBTQ Inclusion Awards, sending delegates to LGBTQ conferences, and having a float at the Mardi Gras — with extra points awarded for the participation of the ABC’s former boss David Anderson.

It was also awarded points for programming decisions, such as the ABC children’s drama series First Day, about a 12-year-old transgender girl starting high school, and a podcast series Innies and Outies that told “LGBTQIA+ stories of those choosing to either come out or stay in”, according to ABC’s media release.

The show revealed “Acon’s ABC relationship manager offered editorial tips, including adding a help number, to boost the ABC’s Australian Workplace Equality Index score.”

The exposés are coming from within the building! Media Watch’s 2022 segment on ABC’s close relationship with Acon

Former Media Watch host Paul Barry said being “scored by a lobby group raises questions about ABC impartiality”.

“Imagine, for example, the ABC paying thousands of dollars to Greenpeace and winning prizes for running stories attacking the fossil fuel industry. Or paying money to the Australian Republican Movement and being rewarded for a series criticising the monarchy. How would that be defensible or impartial?”

At the time, an ABC spokesperson told Media Watch: “Participation in benchmarking indexes has no bearing on content commissioning processes and no influence on editorial content.”

A spokesperson from Acon told the Guardian: “We do not seek to, nor do we, have any influence over the way media outlets, who are members of Pride in Diversity, report issues, including the ABC.”