- Reporter failed to disclose $16,000 junket
A high-profile ABC journalist has resigned from the public broadcaster, 10 weeks after allegations emerged that he had accepted a paid work trip to Germany and had not disclosed it.
Andrew Greene was the ABC's defense correspondent when he reported on German manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) earlier this year.
Media Watch revealed in June that Mr. Greene had traveled as a guest of the company while telling his bosses he was on annual leave.
The journalist did not inform his bosses about the arrangement, and a segment was broadcast promoting TKMS, which was competing against Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for a contract to build a fleet of Australian warships.
The senior defense correspondent filed a segment for The World Today about TKMS, including quotes from its chief executive Oliver Burkhard.
"We know what we're doing," Mr. Burkhard told Mr. Greene in the report.
I know our competitors, they have never been exported in the past.
The ABC had thought that Mr. Greene had obtained audio of Mr. Burkhard's press conference by email, rather than traveling to Germany in person.
"Across northern Germany, shipyards are at capacity as military orders increase. Rising global strategic tensions mean business is booming," Mr. Greene reported.
After revelations of Greene's alleged junket came to light, the story was removed from the ABC website.
Other media, including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, did disclose the travel arrangements to readers at the time.
Media Watch host Linton Besser exposed the veteran journalist and said he had become "undone by weakness before temptation" and that the scandal would undermine trust in journalistic institutions.
Greene spent 10 weeks on leave while the broadcaster investigated the allegations before he resigned on Monday.
Canberra bureau chief David Lipson advised ABC staff in an email.
"The ABC maintains the importance of upholding its editorial and other policies," Mr. Lipson wrote.
In June, ABC stated that the Media Watch allegations were serious, and if proven, Greene's actions would be "unacceptable and could constitute misconduct."
The junket to Germany on a business-class return ticket was worth around $16,000, which also included hotel stays in Hamburg and Kiel, paid for by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
The ABC confirmed to Daily Mail that Greene had resigned.
"We thank Andrew for the great contribution he has made to the ABC and to audiences, including his excellent reporting as National Security and Defence Reporter, and wish him all the best," a spokesperson said.
The ABC maintains the importance of upholding its editorial and other policies.
Greene joined ABC in 2010 and had been the broadcaster's defense correspondent for the last decade.
Australia's $10 billion warship program has attracted plenty of international competition among global shipbuilders, particularly since Defence Minister Richard Marles' 2023 announcement of an ambitious naval shipbuilding program.
These companies have spared no expense, even hosting foreign journalists on luxurious press trips to showcase their naval technology and promote their bids.
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