ABC investigative program found in breach of standards

An independent watchdog has criticised ABC's leading investigative program Four Corners, finding that two episodes breached editorial standards due to a culture of secrecy and inadequate fact-checking. The program, led by former bikie Mahmood Fazal, was found to have failed to meet the ABC's own editorial standards for accuracy, fairness, independence, and integrity.

Both episodes, Cocaine Nation and Meth Highway, were removed by the ABC due to concerns over their accuracy and the use of anonymous sources. The ombudsman, Fiona Cameron, stated that audiences were given a misleading impression of the key contributors in both episodes, recommending a full investigation into the use of anonymous and confidential sources.

The broadcaster has since pulled three more stories by Fazal for Four Corners and the Background Briefing podcast over similar concerns. The breaches were attributed to a combination of factors, including management's failure to interrogate sources and a culture that favoured limiting knowledge about them. The ABC has accepted all seven recommendations from the review and is beginning to implement them.