ABC bosses face fierce Senate grilling over slain Gaza reporter and Rinehart sketch

The ABC’s editorial director Gavin Fang has defended the public broadcaster’s handling of claims that one of its freelance journalists in the Middle East – who died in the conflict – had links to Hamas.

Roshdi Sarraj, a “stringer” who filed video for 7.30, is among 170 media workers killed in the war who, according to the Israeli Defence Force, were Hamas operatives.

Sarraj’s death was eulogised on air by 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson.

Mr Fang told a Senate hearing on Tuesday the ABC had been unable to obtain any evidence Sarraj had active links to the terror organisation at the time he did freelance work for the taxpayer-funded broadcaster.

He said the ABC was investigating whether Sarraj was a bona fide journalist, insisting he had not yet been removed from a list of “legitimate journalists” killed in Gaza compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

“We have attempted to get some clarification from the IDF about their position on this, and as yet, they have not provided us with any evidence to suggest otherwise,” Mr Fang said.

“So for the best of our knowledge … (he) was a legitimate journalist who was tragically killed.

“Until we are able to find something that goes to the veracity of that claim, I don’t think it’s incumbent on us to make a decision (or) to declare that that person was a member of Hamas.”

In a fiery exchange in the Senate hearing, Opposition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson accused Mr Fang of being “flippant” about an investigation conducted by Israel.

Senator Henderson went on to suggest that the IDF had not only identified Sarraj as a military operative for the proscribed terror group but also recovered his Hamas identity card.

Holding up a printout of the IDF’s report, Senator Henderson said: “This is the work of the defence force of one of our closest allies, Israel. Their work includes the fact that Mr Sarraj has a Hamas ID card. And you don’t think that’s sufficient evidence? 


“I’m not saying you were aware of that at the time. 
But now that you are aware of it, my concern is that you are completely disregarding this evidence.

“The fact that you are being so flippant about the very significant evidence uncovered by the IDF is deeply concerning, Mr Fang.”

But on Wednesday, Senator Henderson withdrew her claim about Sarraj holding a Hamas ID card, informing the Senate she had made an error.

Senator Henderson fact-checked herself after the hearing ended late Tuesday, and realised her mistake. “While the IDF concluded Mr al-Sarraj was a Hamas military operative, I incorrectly said he held a Hamas ID card, rather than the two Al Jazeera journalists I referenced in the hearing who had Hamas military ID numbers,” she told The Australia.

Senator Henderson said she had contacted the Senate to correct the matter for the official parliamentary record, but said she stood by her claim that Mr Fang’s response to the IDF report had been “flippant” and urged the taxpayer-funded broadcaster to continue investigating the allegation pertaining to Sarraj.

Sarraj’s alleged connection to the group came to light after The Australian earlier this month revealed he was among 170 media workers killed in Gaza since October 2023 who were subsequently accused by the IDF of being Hamas operatives.

Later, Liberal senator Dean Smith accused the ABC of being “asleep at the wheel” following the airing of a “gross” satirical segment allegedly advocating violence against Gina Rinehart.

The segment, which featured on Race Around The World on July 12, depicted a doomsday scenario in which Rinehart would be violently assaulted.

“Because when the revolution comes, will you hide under your bed or will you know exactly how to shove a stick right up Gina Rinehart’s butthole, stirring it round, mixing her guts up nice and smooth, making her into one big sausage roll, to make something outta nothing,” contestant Kate McGuinness said.

Senator Smith said he was stunned it took a public uproar before the broadcaster updated its editorial policies in line with community standards.

The video was initially given the all-clear by the ABC’s internal ombudsman before the ABC’s managing director Hugh Marks overturned the decision and had the item removed from the broadcaster’s various platforms.

“I am a person who has refrained from a lot of commentary about the ABC, but (have) sat on this (committee) for a number of years now,” Senator Smith said, addressing Mr Marks directly.

“In your opening remarks, you said that the ABC in 2027 had ‘much to look forward to … But the airing of that segment, on the 12th of July, has undone whatever goodwill there might have been left in this country for the ABC.

“Why hadn’t the editorial guidelines been upgraded in regards to violence long before this particular matter, given everything that had happened in this country in recent times?”

Mr Marks defended the delay in offering an apology to Mrs Rinehart. The ABC boss told the Senate that satire sometimes lands, but “often it doesn’t”.

“We acknowledge the error. We apologise for the offence, and we’ve taken the appropriate steps,” Mr Marks said.

Earlier, Mr Marks acknowledged the ABC got things “dramatically wrong” by failing to properly “supervise” discredited journalist Mahmood Fazal.