The man who ultimately runs the ABC believes social cohesion is under attack in Australia and around the world and politicians carry some of the blame.
Kim Williams, chair of the ABC, argues the breakdown of civilised disagreement is fuelled by social media and says the ABC has a role to try to help rebuild it.
“I think we have work to do to re-establish the fundamentals of respectful engagement from people who have different points of view, ” he said.
“I think our parliaments unfortunately all too often descend into slanging matches and that doesn’t serve anyone’s interest in advancing our society.
“Polarisation reigns at the moment.”
Mr Williams made his comments in an at times personal interview on the podcast “Neil Mitchell Asks Why?”.
But he is clearly worried about the breakdown of “social cohesion” in the streets and debates: “The facilitation that digital technology enables, is clearly less than helpful to a civilised dialogue in modern political affairs,” he says.
“It fuels polarity in a way that is almost on a nuclear charge basis.
“I think social cohesion is under very real threat in far too many world jurisdictions.”
“We all have a responsibility to try and address this and in a curative way, create a much better environment in which people can actually disagree on acceptably respectful terms.”
Williams was understandably reluctant to criticise the ABC although he did manage a whack at broadcaster Phillip Adams who hosted “Late Night Live” on the Radio National for 33 years and retired only weeks ago.
He says the ABC should not be privatised and that he would resist any suggestion that it broadcast advertisements. But he will ask the government for more money.
“We certainly need more investment,” he says.
“Investment that is justified by the ABC in making a case to Government, in making a case for the work that needs to be done in areas such as social cohesion”
“We have a duty to remind all Australians of all the pillars of their democracy.”
Neil Mitchell is a commentator and broadcaster. His podcast “Neil Mitchell Asks why? ” appears every Tuesday.
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