Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says there are still questions about how the ABC’s “dishonest reporting” managed to pass the “editorial test” after the national broadcaster issued an apology over doctored footage of female navy dancers.
The ABC’s footage falsely indicated Governor-General David Hurley was present at an event where a group of female dancers were ‘twerking’ in front of a new $2 billion naval ship.
A statement from a governor-general spokesperson, responding to the footage, said “The performance occurred before the Governor General arrived. The presentation of the video to suggest otherwise is disappointing”.
In a statement released on Thursday the ABC said the footage “should not have been edited in that way” and apologised to the Governor-General, Chief of Navy, and viewers for the error.
Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell said the doctored video was “very ordinary stuff from the ABC”.
“It’s dishonest reporting,” he said.
“That’s why Scott Morrison lashed it today.”
He said the ABC’s apology statement is “appropriate frankly”.
“The apology has come from the ABC, but it still leaves some questions in terms of how did this actually happen,” Mr Clennell said.
“How do you get those two different things and just splice them together and think that’s okay? How does that pass the editorial test?”
