The Howard Government is bullying the ABC.  It is vital that the national broadcaster not be cowed. The battle between the ABC and Richard Alston over AM's Iraq war reporting is extraordinarily important, because at its core is the Federal Government's continued attempt to cow the national broadcaster. This Government is very successful at managing or neutralising the media, but the ABC still bugs it.

Having tried constantly to bring it to heel, Alston now seems determined to press on despite his case being exposed as nearly threadbare. The ABC's Complaints Review Executive in its report has pretty convincingly done over Alston's dossier of 68 objections to AM's war coverage. Two only were upheld.

Alston also comes in for stinging criticism in this report by Murray Green. The minister is accused of taking things out of context, failing to be straightforward, 'extravagant misrepresentation', applying double standards and selectively quoting from the ABC's editorial charter, leading him to ignore the need for journalists to be sceptical.

A thinner-skinned operator might have second thoughts, but not Alston. Even before he'd digested the full report he proclaimed himself dissatisfied, contested the first five findings (all rejections) and threatened another inquiry, probably by the Australian Broadcasting Authority.

John Howard yesterday weighed in, saying it was 'inevitable' that in an internal review 'there's always a tendency to declare yourself not guilty'. He, in effect, slurred a report he hadn't read, while adding he was sure Green had done a conscientious job. Out of these muddled messages (which wouldn't pass an Alston AM test), Howard's bottom line was: 'Probably it's better . . . with the public broadcaster to have some kind of arm's length assessment.'

Let's not kid ourselves: what's at stake here is how robust the ABC's role should be in covering current affairs. The Government is not just in a fit of pique; its rough-house tactics are designed to bully. The complaints report suggests Alston is advocating 'a form of reporting that is more passive if not deferential'. That is exactly what the Government wants wherever it can get it. Fair enough from its point of view - but not from that of media or the public.

Michelle Grattan,  The Age 22July 2003