The ABC is investigating “serious allegations” that its defence correspondent Andrew Greene filed a story about a German ship builder without disclosing that he had traveled to Germany courtesy of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, which is hoping to win Australian navy contracts.
Media Watch revealed thatGreene filed a storylast week for ABC radio’s The World Today about how business is booming at German shipyards. The report, which has since been taken down, allegedly failed to disclose the journalist had been a guest of the defence giant.
“These are serious allegations and the ABC is investigating them,” a spokesperson for ABC News said.
“The ABC has rigorous editorial policies and any such behaviour, if proven, would be unacceptable and could constitute misconduct. For reasons of due process and confidentiality we won’t comment further while the investigation is underway.”
As a public broadcaster the ABC does not generally accept travel paid for by the subject of the report as it could pose a potentialconflict of interest or create a perception of it.
The ABC did not clarify whether Greene had been stood down pending an investigation.
“Across northern Germany, shipyards are at capacity as military orders ramp up. Rising global strategic tensions mean business is booming,” Greene reported on The World Today on 11 June.
According to Media Watch, the ABC was unaware Greene had travelled to Germany at all. He filed the story when he returned from personal leave.
Greene has been with the public broadcaster since 2010 and has been a high-profile defence correspondent for the past 10 years.
The same international press junket was taken by the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald’s Matthew Knott, who is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent. Knott’s report disclosed that he “visited Germany courtesy of TKMS [ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems]”.
A spokesperson for Nine Entertainment said it is “standard for the mastheads to disclose trips that have been provided”.
Knott reported from Kiel, Germany, that ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is competing against Japanese firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build up to 11 general-purpose frigates to replace the Australian navy’s ageing fleet.
The Australian government is deciding whether to award the $10bn shipbuilding contract to Germany or Japan, and defence correspondents are keeping a close eye on developments.
The ABC did approve another trip Greene took last year hosted by the Foreign Press Centre Japan, which is a privately funded non-profit, and he filed three reports.
“While in Japan, Mr Greene covered the topics of security and diplomacy, interviewing a House of Representatives Member and government officials with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense,”the centre said. “He also visited the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Yokosuka Naval Base and saw the JS Mogami frigate.”
The press centre helped arrange access for Greene to some of the country’s top defence officials while in Tokyo. A disclosure was included on two stories that the Foreign Press Centre Japan “hosted Andrew in Tokyo”.
Greene has been approached for comment.