Backflip from the ABC after outrage over activist’s violent Gina Rinehart segment the taxpayer-funded broadcaster defended as ‘satirical’

The ABC has submitted a graphic description of fantasised violence against Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, to its internal ombudsman.

The ABC aired the targeted violent content on an episode of its Race Around The World series last Wednesday, with the segment created by activist Kate McGuinness.

The broadcaster initially defended the piece as it was ‘intended to be satirical in tone and considered to be editorially justifiable within the context of the program’.

However, it conceded to public pressure this week and submitted the segment to its ABC Ombudsman for review, News24 reported.

Communications Minister Anika Wells on Wednesday described the content as ‘unacceptable’.

‘My personal view is it’s unacceptable. Like any Australian, there’s stuff I see on TV that I don’t agree with,’ Wells said.

‘As the Minister for Communications, I respect the editorial independence of the ABC, but I understand they have now referred it to the Ombudsman.’

The ABC Ombudsman reports directly to its board. 

An ABC spokesperson told The Daily Mail: ‘Audience complaints are being reviewed by the Ombudsman’s Office in accordance with the ABC’s complaints handling process.’ 

In the film, McGuinness was shown by a local resident how to do relaxation exercises such as focusing on the bubbles on the river and hitting things with a stick. 

But it took a dramatic turn towards the end of the four-minute film when McGuinness launched into a foul attack on Rinehart.

The outburst is too disturbing to publish but went into detail about graphically assaulting the mining magnate with a stick to ‘make one big sausage roll’.

A spokesman for Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart’s mining company, criticised the nature of the video shortly after it was aired.

‘It is nothing short of disgusting that the ABC would encourage and normalise violence and murder by broadcasting, publishing and continuing to distribute this content,’ they said.

‘This was not an unscripted live comment; it passed through production, editorial and broadcast processes. 

‘If the ABC believes it can hide behind the false shield of ‘satire’ to glorify sexualised and political violence and murder, then it has completely lost sight of its editorial responsibilities and, surely, this is outside its Charter? 

‘A public apology would be the minimum appropriate response but, more importantly, a light must be shone on who let this go to air in primetime, and action taken.’

Former ABC chair Maurice Newman on Monday said the broadcaster had ‘lost its way’. 

‘I didn’t believe my eyes to begin with, or my ears,’ he said.

‘My immediate reaction was it was hateful, disgusting, in breach of the ABC Charter, and quite frankly I couldn’t really see where this was satirical.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Hancock Prospecting for comment.