In a statement Anderson put out on Wednesday afternoon he said the ABC stood by “the importance of the article” dated February 26 that ABC reporter Louise Milligan wrote on ABC Online in her capacity as a Four Corners journalist. It was titled “Scott Morrison, senators and AFP told of historical rape allegations against Cabinet Minister”.
In his statement, Anderson announced that Porter had decided to discontinue his defamation action against the ABC and Milligan. He added: “No damages will be paid. The only costs that the ABC will be paying are the mediation costs.” In a later statement, Anderson said: “The only costs paid by the ABC, apart from its own, were mediation and related costs.” He did not indicate the nature of the related costs.
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In other words, the ABC paid its own costs, plus mediation costs, plus related costs. Or, rather, the taxpayer did. However, the most important part of Anderson’s announcements turns on what the ABC regards as the standard that a journalist, writing a story about an alleged rape of a girl aged 16 by a boy aged 17 more than three decades ago, is required to meet.
Part of the ABC-Porter settlement entails that the ABC place an editor’s note on Milligan’s story, which remains on ABC Online. It reads in part: “The ABC did not contend that the serious accusations could be substantiated to the applicable legal standard – criminal or civil.”
