Ben Fordham hits back at Mediawatch for asking ‘ridiculous’ questions

2GB ‘s Ben Fordham challenged the ABC’s Mediawatch for asking ‘ridiculous’ questions about a story he broke on Barnardo’s Mother of the Year award this week.

 
The popular charity ditched its quarter-century recognition of Australia’s mums, with the story broken by Barnardos’ own ambassador, Fordham, who dropped the exclusive on his breakfast show.
 
Mediawatch then went on to describe the “media pile on” about political correctness and quoted Barnados as “very disappointed” and “fuming.” 

Responding to the Mediawatch story, Fordham had the following to say

Barnardos is pretty upset you took a courtesy email to you and revealed the decision on air without their permission. Did you want to respond to that?
 
Fordham: The premise of your question is ridiculous. Does the ABC have a policy of calling the sender of every email to ask permission before publishing? Did Louise Milligan get the Liberal Party to sign a permission slip before publishing her 4 Corners report?
 
Barnados emailed a detailed statement to 2GB saying “we have decided to bring the Mother of the Year event to an end” and explained “the celebration of mothers in the absence of others” didn’t align with their values in “our contemporary  world”. The email was neither embargoed or sent in confidence. We gave Barnardos three days notice of our intention to publish the story. Our reporting was factual and compassionate.
 
The story obviously took off on 2GB, brekky TV, Telegraph, Sky News, etc- alotof people have been beating up on the charity. Any regrets about sparking that and the damage it may have done to them?
 
Fordham: Again, the  premise of your question is ridiculous- even more so for a show purporting to be the arbiter of good journalism. Does the ABC have a policy of withholding stories if the subject of the  story is going to suffer “damage”? If that’s now a pre-publication test, why did 4 Corners  publish  a story about the  private  lives of Liberal politicians causing great emotional distress to them, their wives, children, family and friends?
 
I’m not responsible for the editorial positions of “brekky TV, Telegraph, Sky News etc ..”. The word I used to describe the decision was “disappointing”, which I think was very fair and measured and supported by past winners of the award.
 
And can I ask if you want to stay on as an ambassador?
Fordham: Yes
 
Have you had any discussions with them on that?
Fordham: No

 
 

 


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