The Drum online is an opinion and news analysis website which publishes regular contributions from inside and outside the ABC, including from ABC journalists Barrie Cassidy, Ian Verrender and Annabel Crabb. However, Guthrie is keen to streamline the ABC’s online analysis and focus more on news analysis and less on outside opinion. The ABC has axed its opinion website the Drum in a cost-saving move which is one of the first significant decisions in the reign of the new managing director, Michelle Guthrie. The staff on the website, which pays freelance writers for contributions, were told the site would close immediately this week. Beecher also accused the Drum of compromising the ABC’s editorial integrity by running “wacky” personal opinions that were “mainly from the left”.

Source: The Guardian July 05, 2016 01:27 UTC