The ABC will end its memberships with ACON’s Pride in Diversity program, the Australian Disability Network, and the Diversity Council of Australia after an internal review of its external partnerships.
According to The Guardian, the decision was outlined in an internal staff newsletter and marks an early reset under managing director Hugh Marks, who took over the role in March 2025.
Why is the ABC ending these partnerships?
In a statement to The Guardian, an ABC spokesperson said a review of workplace partnerships had confirmed the broadcaster was meeting its editorial independence and impartiality obligations.
“We will always invest in these fundamental principles,” the spokesperson said. “The ABC remains committed to diversity and inclusion and will redirect funding to internal initiatives.”
The internal communication, as reported by The Guardian, said the partnerships were “no longer providing sufficient value” to the organisation. ABC management is also reviewing other partnerships and sponsorships to ensure its standards of independence are maintained.
Long-running scrutiny over ACON relationship
The ABC’s relationship with ACON has faced scrutiny for several years because the broadcaster paid membership fees while also being assessed through the Australian Workplace Equality Index.
The Guardian reported the ABC was paying at least $12,000 a year to ACON. The issue drew wider attention after Media Watch raised possible conflict concerns in October 2022.
That scrutiny intensified in Senate estimates, where Coalition senators questioned whether participation in benchmarking and awards programs run by advocacy groups could create a perception problem for a public broadcaster.
Under the index, the ABC reportedly received points for specific editorial content, including the trans-themed series First Day and podcast Innies and Outies. The Guardian also reported that freedom-of-information documents obtained by the campaign group ACON Exposed showed that ACON relationship managers had offered editorial guidance to ABC staff.
What ACON said
An ACON spokesperson told The Guardian the organisation works with a range of employers seeking to better engage LGBTQ+ communities and build more inclusive workplaces.
“We do not seek to, nor do we have, any influence over the way media outlets, who are members of Pride in Diversity, report issues, including the ABC,” the spokesperson said.
A broader editorial and political issue
The memberships had become a political flashpoint because they sat at the intersection of workplace inclusion programs and editorial independence.
The move is expected to remove a recurring source of pressure for the broadcaster, which has also faced criticism in recent years over aspects of its coverage of gender-related issues.
The decision also follows international precedent. The BBC withdrew from the UK’s Stonewall diversity scheme in 2021 amid concerns about protecting its reputation for impartiality.