The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has decided it won't adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism — the same one the Bondi royal commission chose to apply earlier this year. Instead, the ABC will continue using its own internal editorial guidance on hate speech. The announcement keeps the broadcaster's content moderation framework separate from the commission's mandate, a move the ABC says preserves its independence.
What the ABC decided
The ABC confirmed it will not shift to the IHRA definition. Its existing editorial policies — which already cover hate speech, discrimination and vilification — will remain in place. The broadcaster has not detailed specific differences between its guidelines and the IHRA text, but the decision is a deliberate one. It comes just months after the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, announced in February 2025, said it would apply the IHRA definition in its work.
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Why the royal commission matters here
The Bondi royal commission was set up to examine antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia. When it announced in February that it would use the IHRA definition, it raised questions about how broadly that definition might be applied — including by institutions like the ABC. The IHRA definition is not legally binding in Australia, but it carries weight in policy and public discourse. The ABC's rejection of it signals that at least one major institution wants to keep its distance.
Independence over alignment
The ABC's reasoning boils down to editorial independence. Using its own hate speech guidance, rather than an externally imposed definition, allows the broadcaster to make case-by-case judgments without being tied to a framework designed for a different context — policy and law enforcement. It's a stance that prioritizes the ABC's own editorial tradition over alignment with a commission's chosen standard. That distinction matters for any organisation that faces pressure to adopt uniform definitions across government and media.
What happens next
The royal commission is still underway. Its final recommendations could include proposals for how institutions define and respond to antisemitism. The ABC has now made its position clear before those recommendations land. Whether the commission will push back, or whether other Australian broadcasters or platforms follow the ABC's lead, is an open question. For now, the broadcaster's editorial line is set.
