ABC Apologises for ‘Inadvertently’ Misleading Viewers

An independent review has found that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) misled viewers of its 7:30 programme in 2022 by airing a story that raised questions about the conduct of the Australian’s 2nd Commando Regiment—one of Australia’s most elite combat units—in Afghanistan in 2012. The controversy only emerged rival Seven Network’s Spotlight program featured the footage in September 2024. The review was conducted by veteran journalist Alan Sunderland, who had spent 40 years with the ABC and SBS and is now a member of the Australian Press Council. He found that ABC staff had “inadvertently” added extra gunshot sounds to footage of Australian commandos firing from a helicopter and misleadingly edited an interview with former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) leader Bret Hamilton....