Dads, who needs ’em?

Friend of Quadrant Peter Fenwick happened upon Their ABC’s evening news bulletin on Christmas Eve and wondered about the timing of a report extolling the trend to male-free single motherhood. He writes:

‘Twas was the night before Christmas. On the ABC News there was an item extolling the virtues of solo motherhood.

Women, they claimed, were now choosing to have babies without the bother of finding a father for their child or the burden of creating a family. It was presented as a Good.

There was no balance. No consideration for the rights of the child to have a father and a male role model in their life. No suggestion that it might be selfish behaviour on the part of the woman. No reference to the studies which have documented the adverse impacts on children who grow up in fatherless households.

The timing was strange. The night before Christmas. Accidental or deliberate? Was there a subliminal message?

Has the ABC misunderstood motherhood and Christmas too?

If the national broadcaster were to misunderstand only Christmas and motherhood, that would represent an exponential improvement.