ABC response to Ombudsman review of "Cocaine Nation" and "Meth Highway" - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The ABC Board requested the Ombudsman investigate two Four Corners programs, “Cocaine Nation”, broadcast on 22 May 2023, and “Meth Highway”, broadcast on 22 April 2024, due to concerns relating to the use of certain anonymous sources.

The Ombudsman concluded that both programs failed to meet the ABC’s editorial standards. Both programs have now been removed from ABC platforms and the ABC has published a correction, acknowledging that aspects of the programs were materially misleading.

To ensure the ABC’s editorial standards are met in future, the Ombudsman has made a number of recommendations. The ABC accepts the recommendations in full and has begun implementing them.  

The Ombudsman’s recommendations will strengthen the ABC’s editorial processes.

The Ombudsman's Executive Summary is available here.

The ABC Ombudsman's Office has completed its independent review into whether the Four Corners programs "Cocaine Nation" and "Meth Highway" complied with the ABC's editorial standards. The matter was referred to the Ombudsman by the ABC Board following concerns about the veracity of certain sources used in both programs.

The Ombudsman has made seven recommendations, as listed in the Executive Summary. All of these have either been implemented or are underway as a result of an internal editorial review.

The ABC has already removed both the programs and all associated content, including the Background Briefing episode "Remy was 12 when she became a drug dealer".

It has also removed a scene from the Four Corners program "Post Code Wars" and an associated Background Briefing episode, removed the Four Corners program "Silent Orders" and edited the Background Briefing program "What it's like to face terrorism charges". 

The Ombudsman's recommendations about further training, fact checking and the support for less experienced reporters are being implemented. 

Managers are working closely with editorial leaders to ensure every team understands and consistently upholds the ABC’s Editorial Policies.

The ABC will update its editorial guidance on attribution and anonymity to provide further clarity around editorial oversight and review and to reflect the high standards expected regarding the use of anonymous sources.