The ABC is finally stepping up its defense, with managing director Michelle Guthrie yesterday giving a speech to the Melbourne Press Club, saying the ABC was not a “political punching bag”.

The speech was mainly notable as the first substantial defence Guthrie has given of the broadcaster since the federal budget was handed down, with a funding freeze that will amount to $83 million less funding over three years.

Guthrie responded to recent calls to privatise the ABC, and cited a preliminary report from Deloitte she commissioned, which she said found the ABC contributed $1 billion to the economy and indirectly created 2500 jobs.

A long silence

Disquiet at the silence from the ABC, from both within and outside the corporation had been growing, culminating with high-profile ABC Melbourne presenter Jon Faine last week criticising Guthrie and management on-air for being “remarkably quiet and reluctant to engage”.

Faine asked Guthrie after the speech yesterday why she hadn’t been more of an advocate. “We do not understand why you are so reluctant to do more of what you have done today,” he said. “We need a public champion. The public own us, we have to engage with them, and that’s what we look to you to do. I can’t get you on my show, nor can any of my colleagues or rivals.”

Judging by her response, this may not be an anomaly in how the ABC is going to respond to any further political attacks. “I’m one of those people that think the more you speak, the less you’re heard,” she said. “Speaking with impact is really important and that doesn’t mean I have to do it every week, but I think that does mean you’ll be seeing more of me, whether you like it or not.”

Guthrie also responded to questions about attacks from commercial competitors by comparing 7.30 host Leigh Sales’ number of Twitter followers to those of The Australian, and saying the ABC wouldn’t be distracted by the “noise”. “I think we’re OK. We do have to put it in context. It’s extremely important for us not to be distracted by the noise,” she said.

Correcting the record

But, in response to that “noise”, the ABC has been quietly stepping up its communication department’s response to any criticism. Last month, it set up a new Twitter account for its communications team, which it hadn’t previously had. The new account posts responses and clarifications (mainly to stories run in The Australian), and other corporate announcements and speeches.

Then, yesterday, the ABC debuted a new “microsite” called “Future of Your ABC”, described as the “home of news, information and stories about the ABC’s contribution to the community and the future of public broadcasting in Australia.”

So far, it’s hosting Guthrie’s speech from yesterday, an opinion piece written by ABC chair Justin Milne last month, and some ABC stories about cuts to the broadcaster.

An ABC spokeswoman told Crikey that the corporate Twitter account was usual practice as a “free and efficient communications tool”. She said the microsite was “designed to engage with audiences and provide information on the value of the ABC and public broadcasting”, and the ABC hadn’t allocated additional funds for the initiatives.