‘The critics don’t deter us’: ABC managing director launches passionate defence of broadcaster

The ABC is an unbiased and "independent source of truth" and must not be undermined by political or commercial forces, the ABC managing director, David Anderson, has declared in a passionate defence of the public broadcaster.

In a book published on Thursday, Now More Than Ever: Australia's ABC, Anderson outlined the breadth and depth of the ABC's output and its "overwhelming" influence on Australian life, saying "the critics don't deter us".

"We know that for democracy to flourish, a nation's citizens must have an independent source of truth they can turn to - one that is unwavering, unbiased, and committed to providing the accurate, relevant information they need," Anderson wrote.

"This is the core role played by the ABC. And any attempts to interfere with, or undermine, the independence of the ABC, by either political or commercial players, must and will be resisted at all costs."

Any attacks on the ABC's legitimacy, or interference in its operations, will always be resisted by the vast majority of Australians who love the institution, he said.

Anderson's heartfelt defence of the ABC's value and its independence comes a week after the Morrison government demanded that the ABC and SBS add a new layer of accountability, so-called statements of expectations, on top of the broadcasters' already rigorous reporting requirements to parliament.

Anderson told Senate estimates on Wednesday that some of the information the Coalition has demanded will not be handed over because of commercial in confidence and privacy concerns.