Why the ABC has been accused of ‘radical activist rubbish’ after a calendar invite was sent to staff

The ABC has been called out for not holding a Remembrance Day event but pushing ahead with plans to hold a Transgender Day of Remembrance.

An ABC insider told Sky News the national broadcaster will be holding the event next week as part of its new diversity and inclusion measures.

The policy has been rolled out following the release of its racism review in October which found racial discrimination, slurs and stereotyping rife at the ABC. 

The national broadcaster has rolled out a series of changes including a 75-minute training course that is mandatory for its entire 4,000 staff.

Staff were sent a calendar invite on Thursday informing them the Transgender Day of Remembrance will be held at the Ultimo foyer, in Sydney, next week.

The event will be beamed to ABC offices across the country.

Sky News senior reporter Caroline Marcus questioned why the same respect had not been shown to Australian soldiers on Remembrance Day on Monday.

‘You’d presume the ABC ALSO held an event in the foyer for staff who may wish to gather together to observe a minute’s silence and pay tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives for our freedom,’ she said.

‘Apparently not, our ABC insider tells us.’

Traditionally a minute’s silence is held dedicated to soldiers who died fighting to protect the nation and to mark 11am on 11 November 1918, when the guns on the Western Front fell silent ending the calamitous conflict of WWI.

Red poppies are also traditionally worn or displayed to represent the lives lost. 

The 75-minute training course ABC staff will be required to complete by the end of the month is entitled ‘Building an Inclusive Culture’. 

As an example of the course content, staff have been told that instead of using a phrase such as  ‘Chinese whispers’ they should substitute the term ‘misinformation’.

Marcus slammed such efforts as being ‘radical activist rubbish’.

It comes just a month after the racism review was handed down in October. 

The report was commissioned in the wake of Stan Grant’s shock resignation from the ABC over claims he was unsupported while the target of racist attacks.

Specific details included staff receiving comments about their racial appearance, stereotyping and being mistaken for someone else in a racist manner.

An ABC insider told Sky News the national broadcaster will be holding the event next week as part of its new diversity and inclusion measures

It has been a torrid couple of months for the ABC with its head of news Justin Stevens being forced to admit there was altered gunshot audio used in a news report about an Australian Special Forces operation in Afghanistan.

An audio expert revealed how video footage published by the ABC was changed to add five extra gunshots, making it appear that an Australian soldier was firing at an unarmed Afghan man.

In issuing a grovelling apology Mr Stevens said the audio had been ‘incorrectly edited’ and has since been removed from all of the ABC’s online platforms.

Liam Bartlett, the staf Seven reporter, who broke the story accused the ABC of ‘vilifying’ the nation’s brave troops with the public broadcaster carrying accusations of war crimes.

Daily Mail Australia contacted the ABC for comment.