The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has issued an apology to journalist Stan Grant, who accused ABC of not defending him against racist abuse, especially in response to his commentary on the coronation of King Charles III. Stan Grant is one of the most prominent broadcasters in Australia and a former journalist at CNN. He will host his last program on Q+A Monday night before taking an indefinite break from the network.
Grant is a proud Australian Indigenous man from the Wiradjuri community of central New South Wales who has frequently spoken out on record about Indigenous rights and issues. In a recent column, he shared his experience of racist attacks and accused ABC of not providing him with enough support.
After Grant's column was published on Friday, ABC issued an apology on Sunday in a memo to their staff. In the memo, Managing Director David Anderson condemned the "sickening" behavior that Grant had been subjected to and consoled him, saying that he had the "full support" of ABC.
Anderson also pledged to conduct a review into how racism impacts ABC's employees and how ABC could better support them. This recommendation was made by the Bonner Committee, ABC’s main advisory panel on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues.
On Monday, ABC staff members stood outside the broadcaster’s offices across Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra to show their support for Grant, holding signs that read "We Reject Racism”.
Grant accused ABC in his column of failing to protect him or speak up for him and called it "an institutional failure." Since the controversy surrounding the King Charles III coronation broadcast, Grant has been subjected to an avalanche of racist insults. According to the veteran journalist, "I was not the producer nor presenter of the coronation broadcast, yet every newspaper article accusing ABC of bias has carried my image. I am writing this because I will not have people depict me as a person of hate."
Grant has also opened up about being "racially mocked or abused" for years, saying that he and his family are regularly targeted on social media for his Indigenous heritage. Earlier this year, ABC lodged a complaint with Twitter about the racist comments published about Grant on its platform.
Grant has not resigned from ABC, but he is taking an indefinite break from his hosting duties on Q+A due to the "disturbing" racist abuse. Nevertheless, he will continue to advocate for Indigenous rights and advance his journalistic career.