ABC News has changed the headline of an interview with the Woodside Energy chief executive that read “How to save whales and produce gas” as an environmental advocate accuses the broadcaster of a political advertorial masquerading as journalism.
The interview with Meg O’Neill, which was temporarily taken down from YouTube, iView and ABC News, was later republished with an editor’s note that read: “This interview has been reposted with an updated headline and thumbnail to better reflect the content of the interview.”
The headline now reads “Woodside CEO confirms changes to Browse project to try to satisfy environmental concerns”.
The multibillion-dollar Woodside gas export development Browse has been deemed “unacceptable” by the state’s Environmental Protection Authority due to its impact on marine life at Scott Reef.
The climate scientist Bill Hare, who is the chief executive of Climate Analytics, said it was “quite a shock” to see the “laughable” headline, while he felt the content of the seven-minute interview with O’Neill fell well below ABC standards.
“The interview looks more like something you’d see on Moscow TV or on public broadcasters in China, where it looks more like an advertorial, political advertorial,” Hare told Guardian Australia.
Hare was critical of the questions put to O’Neill, saying he felt there was “no meaningful questioning” of the statements made by the Woodside CEO.
“There was no follow-up or meaningful questioning of the statements made by the Woodside CEO, most of which are contested.”
ABC News said the videos across the platforms had been removed temporarily to change the headline.
“The interview was for The Business and focused on the company’s earnings and outlook,” a spokesperson for ABC News said.
“It takes greenwashing to another level,” Hare said. “It’s an innovation in greenwashing. It’s one of the most extraordinary innovations I’ve ever seen, and somehow for the ABC to put that up as a headline is just laughable.”
A question about mitigating potential impacts on sea life appeared to be the basis for the headline about saving whales.
Interviewer: “Is there more that Woodside can do to actually mitigate against potential impacts to pygmy whales and endangered sea turtle nesting areas?”
O’Neill: “There are a number of changes that we have already made to the Browse design to make sure that we are minimising any potential environmental impact.”
O’Neill went on to say Woodside was working with the Australian Institute for Marine Science and the Western Australian Museum to “build the nation’s understanding of the marine life in this particular part of the world”.
Woodside suffered an embarrassing rebuke of its climate credentials after its emissions plan was overwhelmingly rejected by shareholders at its annual general meeting earlier this year.
The former Walkley award winning ABC foreign correspondent Sophie McNeill, who is a Greens candidate in the WA election, was also critical of the video.
“It wasn’t just the framing,” McNeill said. “[The ABC] repeated Woodside talking points and did not push back against any of O’Neill’s claims, many of which have been disproven by climate, energy and environmental experts.”
Woodside declined to comment.
