ABC’s news chief has warned that agenda-driven attacks on the ABC and its journalists, disguised as scrutiny, are contributing to a crisis of trust in Australia and risk permanently eroding the reputation of journalism.

Speaking to the Melbourne Press Club on Tuesday, Justin Stevens said while he did not shy away from legitimate scrutiny of the ABC’s news content from social media and traditional media outlets, some of the criticism often turned to bullying.

“Sometimes what’s called scrutiny is really an agenda-driven attack motivated by ideological, personal or commercial interests, often directed at specific journalists with the goal of denting their reputations,” Stevens said in the address.

“This trend across social media and from some media outlets – and let’s be honest and call it what it often is: bullying – is about more than just the ABC. Spurious attacks on some journalists can potentially erode the reputation of all journalists. And that feeds the public’s crisis of trust.”

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Asked by this masthead if he was referring to any particular outlets, Stevens did not answer. However, ABC chair Kim Williams, a former chief executive of News Corp’s Australian outpost, has previously criticised the Murdoch-controlled company’s “unhinged” coverage of the public broadcaster.

Stevens said in the speech that the scale of unfair attacks on ABC journalists, whether by social media trolls, commentators or media competitors, needed to be called out.

“Disturbingly, we disproportionately see women, First Nations and culturally diverse journalists being targeted,” he said.

However, Stevens conceded there was no answer to curbing a “toxic pile-on”.