A lesson from Trump’s America

Cassandra Parkinson | President, ABC Friends Ltd | November 9, 2024

The election of Donald Trump as US President reminds us how important it is to have a fearless independent public broadcaster.

It was an election characterised by unprecedented lies and harmful rhetoric, which all too often went unreported by the American media. Social media was awash with fake accounts, often funded by foreign powers, and hell bent on spreading misinformation and confusion. And it worked. The craziest stories went viral.

There are several reasons why disinformation worked so effectively, but one difference with Australia stands out.

There is no equivalent to our ABC in the US where its two public media organisations, NPR and PBS*, reach only a fraction of the US population. In 2022, their average weekly audiences totalled around 9 million people – about 2.6% of the population.

Compare that to Australia where more than 65% of the population accesses the ABC each week.

For a public broadcaster to be effective, it must reach a large share of the population. That requires much more public funding than the ABC now receives.

It’s an important reason why we are fighting to strengthen the ABC’s capacity to communicate effectively with all Australians. And it’s why I’m writing to ask if you will make a donation to support our campaign.

Numerous independent surveys have found that the ABC is Australia’s most trusted media organisation.** But years of brutal funding cuts and deep cuts to newsrooms have eroded its capacity to do its job.

Some of you have told me you’re unhappy with the ABC. Some have even suggested that we no longer need it. Certainly, the enemies of the ABC would like to see it fade into insignificance.

But please don’t let your dissatisfaction blind you to the alternative: a media landscape dominated by commercial interests and the whims of big technology companies.

Public media is an essential part of a robust democracy. But it is only effective if it’s properly funded and truly independent.

We have already begun planning our campaign for the 2025 election. Your donation will help fund our campaign and place pressure on the government and all political candidates for improvements to the ABC and its funding.

Please support our campaign for a fearless independent ABC.

Thank you again for all your support.

Warm regards

Cassandra Parkinson
President
ABC Friends
https://www.abcfriends.net.au/

* NPR and PBS are funded primarily through donations, foundations and subscriptions.

** This year IPSOS found that 78% of Australian adults trust the information the ABC provides.