PUBLIC REPORT ON AUDIENCE COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS
JULY – SEPTEMBER 2004
1. ABC Complaint Handling Procedures
The ABC is responsible for the quality and standards of all programs on its services.
With so many program services being provided each day, from time to time errors may occur. The ABC aims to ensure that they happen as rarely as possible. However, should they occur, the ABC accepts responsibility and will respond promptly and appropriately.
The ABC aims to respond to complaints as quickly as possible and no later than 28 days after receipt of a complaint.
The roles of ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs and the ABC’s Complaints Review Executive are described below.
ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs
ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs deals with written complaints about ABC programs.
Depending on the nature of the complaint, it will either be investigated by Audience & Consumer Affairs or referred to the relevant division for direct response. All written complaints alleging a breach of the ABC’s Editorial Policies will be investigated by Audience & Consumer Affairs.
Audience & Consumer Affairs is independent of program making divisions within the ABC.
Complaints can be sent to Audience & Consumer Affairs at GPO Box 9994 in your capital city, or submitted via ABC Online at www.abc.net.au/contact.
If a complainant expresses dissatisfaction with a response received from Audience & Consumer Affairs, the complaint and response will be forwarded to the ABC’s Complaints Review Executive (CRE) for independent review.
Complaints Review Executive
The ABC established the role of Complaints Review Executive (CRE) to provide an additional level of internal review for complainants who express dissatisfaction with ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs’ response to their complaint.
The CRE has broad scope to independently review the broadcast and the manner in which the complaint was originally dealt with, and determine whether the ABC acted appropriately. The CRE is independent of both ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs and all program makers.
This additional tier of internal review does not preclude complainants from seeking external review via the Australian Broadcasting Authority, or the ABC’s Independent Complaints Review Panel, depending on the nature of the complaint. Both these forms of review are external and entirely independent of the ABC.
2 2. Overview
This report provides information about audience complaints finalised by ABC Audience & Consumer Affairs and the ABC’s Complaints Review Executive between 1 July and 30 September 2004.
Specifically, the report outlines • the overall composition of audience contacts finalised • the timeliness of ABC responses • the subject matter of complaints received • the number of complaints upheld
The report also provides summary details of all complaints upheld by Audience & Consumer Affairs and all investigations finalised by the Complaints Review Executive during this period.
Overall, there were 5897 written contacts finalised during this period. Of these, complaints made up 40% of contacts with 2,340 complaints. Of these complaints, 83 were upheld either fully or partially. This represents 3.5% of all complaints, or 1.4% of all contacts to the ABC, which were finalised during this period.
Overall composition of audience contacts
Table 1: Written contacts finalised. % of Type of Contact Email Letter Total Total Complaint 1728 612 2340 40 Appreciation / Request / Suggestion 2913 465 3378 57 Other 102 77 179 3 Grand Total 4743 1154 5897 100
Timeliness of responses
Table 2: Timeliness of responses provided.
Type of contact Average response time % of responses provided within 28 days Complaint 16 days 80% All written contacts 21 days 70%
3 Subject matter of complaints finalised
Table 3: Topics of complaint issues finalised. Note that this table counts the number of issues raised by the contacts received. As one contact can raise multiple issues the figures in this table will not match exactly those quoted above for contacts.
Category Topic Sub-topic Upheld Total % Fairness, accuracy Bias Other 2 139 5.9 & independence Anti-government 1 82 3.5 Other political 1 69 2.9 Pro ALP 1 67 2.8 Pro Coalition 59 2.5 Pro Government 29 1.2 Sub-total 5 445 18.8 Factual inaccuracy N/A 40 165 7.0 Balance N/A 1 78 3.3 Unfair treatment Discrimination 2 18 0.8 Denigration 1 11 0.5 Racism 1 11 0.5 Sexism 11 0.5 Other 1 16 0.7 Sub-total 5 67 2.8 Incidental advertising - Non ABC products / logos N/A 1 4 0.2 Sub-total 52 759 32.0 Audience preferences Quality - general N/A 87 3.7 Scheduling / program changes Discontinuation of program 444 18.7 Change of timeslot 61 2.6 Change of format 35 1.5 Too many repeats 10 0.4 Other 102 4.3 Sub-total 652 27.5 Sub-total 739 31.2 Broadcast standards Inappropriate content Poor taste 2 62 2.6 Sex and sexuality 56 2.4 Bad language / profanity / swearing 1 42 1.8 Violence 7 37 1.6 Bad example 4 34 1.4 Offence to religious feeling 3 24 1.0 Drugs / smoking / alcohol 1 0.0 Other 2 53 2.2 Sub-total 19 309 13.0 News values / news content Not enough coverage 31 1.3 Placement in bulletin 3 0.1 Too much coverage 8 0.3 Other 57 2.4 Sub-total 99 4.2 Promotions - ABC programs and products Too many promotions 7 0.3 Too intrusive 3 0.1 Too few promotions 1 0.0 Too revealing 1 0.0 Other 13 0.5 Sub-total 25 1.1 Sensitivity and portrayal N/A 3 0.1 Standards of interviewing Too tough / aggressive / rude to guest 44 1.9 Too easy on guest 19 0.8 Other 33 1.4 Sub-total 96 4.1 Standards of presentation Language - pronunciation / grammar / spelling 2 40 1.7 Personal presentation 29 1.2 Sound quality / voiceovers / background music 1 16 0.7 Program presentation / set design / camera work 10 0.4 Language - poor terminology / misuse of word 1 7 0.3 Other 3 31 1.3 Sub-total 7 133 5.6 Sub-total 26 665 28.1 Corporate / Infrastructure Management issues N/A 123 5.2 Customer service / complaints handling N/A 7 51 2.2 Internet - technical difficulties N/A 10 0.4 Captions N/A 2 0.1 Transmission N/A 2 0.1 Sub-total 7 188 7.9 Other Other N/A 19 0.8 Grand Total 85 2370 100.0
4 3. Summary of complaints upheld by Audience & Consumer Affairs
In each case where a complaint is upheld, the ABC provides a written response to the complainant acknowledging its error. Where appropriate, additional action is taken to rectify the mistake, and/or ensure that the problem does not recur. Action taken in response to upheld complaints can include the following: written apologies to complainants; on-air corrections and apologies; counselling or reprimanding of staff; amending programs for future broadcasts; and reviews of and improvements to procedures.
(i) Matters of fairness, accuracy and independence
Factual inaccuracy
There were 40 upheld complaints regarding factual inaccuracies.
Upheld complaints of factual inaccuracy regarding television programs.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News News South Wales, 25 August 2004
The complaint A viewer complained that in a report about the NSW Teachers’ Federation mounting a High Court challenge to funding for private schools, it was incorrectly stated by a reporter that the NSW Teachers’ Federation was affiliated with the ALP. Finding The ABC agreed that the NSW Teachers’ Federation had never been affiliated with any political party and an on-air correction was made at the end of the same news bulletin.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News New South Wales, 1 July 2004
The complaint A viewer complained that in a report about a car that had been stolen containing a baby, the car was mistakenly described as gold when in fact it was green. As the story was, in part, an appeal to the public to look for the car, the viewer was very concerned by the mistake. Finding The ABC agreed that the car had been mistakenly described as gold instead of green. The ABC realised the mistake on the night of the broadcast. However, efforts to correct the mistake were superseded by news from the police that the baby had been found.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News 4 August 2004 The complaint Two viewers were concerned about the use of the terms "execute" or "execution" to describe the killing of people in Iraq (eg by beheading) by terrorists. The viewers considered that this implied a legitimacy that was inappropriate. Finding The ABC agreed that the usage of this terminology was inappropriate. The News & Current Affairs style guide states that staff should avoid using the word 'execute' in this way. It says:
5 “Judges order executions. Gangsters, gunmen, hoodlums and terrorists 'kill' or 'murder' people”.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News 23 August 2004
The complaint The complainant was concerned that in a story that cited an Israeli government report on its plan to expand Jewish settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the West Bank, the following sentence appeared: "The report says this will have the effect of extending Jerusalem southwards and eastwards in the direction of the Occupied Palestinian Territories." The complainant argued that East Jerusalem is part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the West Bank, and that the Israeli settlement of Gilo mentioned in the report is built on occupied Palestinian land. Hence, the phrase "in the direction of the Occupied Palestinian Territories" was factually inaccurate and in need of correction. Finding The ABC agreed that it was incorrect to say " ... extending Jerusalem southwards and eastwards in the direction of the Occupied Palestinian Territories". However, the ABC considered that it was a misleading description of the political geography of the area rather than a serious and demonstrable error of fact. As such the ABC decided not to issue an on-air correction.
ABC 7.00 pm Television News Adelaide, 21 June 2004
The complaint Two complaints were lodged that a graphic used to accompany a story about sexual abuse in the Anglican Church mistakenly used a Uniting Church of Australia logo. Finding The ABC acknowledged the mistaken use of a Uniting Church of Australia logo during this broadcast. The wrong image was used during the graphic construction phase late on the afternoon of the 21 June, and it wasn't picked up during the transfer of all the graphics from the graphics department to the studio for the 7pm News. The producer became aware of this error moments after the offending key graphic had been broadcast and a correction was run at the end of the bulletin acknowledging the mistake.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News New South Wales, 9 June 2004 The complaint A viewer wrote in to express his concern that an ABC newsreader referred to Ronald Reagan's "parish priest". Mr Reagan was not a Roman Catholic and so could not have had a parish priest. Finding The term was used in the story to convey the impression that the service was a private, family affair with Mrs Reagan's local minister in attendance. However, the ABC acknowledged that the term "parish priest" was incorrect.
6 George Negus Tonight 1 July 2004
The complaint In a segment on the difficulties faced by young gay people in Australia it was incorrectly stated that 1 in 3 young gay Australians will attempt suicide. Finding The ABC agreed that the statistic was incorrect. The statistic was based on UK research and this should have been made clear in the program. The transcript of the program was amended to correct the reference to suicide statistics.
George Negus Tonight 5 July 2004 The complaint A viewer was concerned that the program inaccurately stated that the 1967 referendum gave Aboriginal people the right to vote, when this had been achieved some years previously. The 1967 referendum gave the right for Aborigines to be counted in the Australian Census. Finding While the ABC did not uphold the complaint in relation to the original broadcast, it did acknowledge that the introductory comments in the transcript of this interview available on the George Negus Tonight website were inaccurate, stating that the 1967 Referendum gave Aborigines the right to vote. This section of the transcript was corrected.
Lawrence of Arabia 2 May 2004
The complaint A viewer complained about a statement made in the program about the cause of death of King Faisal I of Iraq. In addition, the viewer pointed out that the program incorrectly referred to Faisal’s “son” as reigning until being killed in a coup 1958. Finding The ABC investigated the complaint and agreed that King Faisal I of Iraq died of natural causes and that the reference to Faisal’s “son” as reigning should have been a reference to Faisal’s grandson, Faisal II.
The Bridge On The River Kwai 16 May 2004
The complaint A viewer advised that this program contained an historical error in its reference to a large number of Tamil indentured labourers who died during construction of the Thai-Burma Railway. Finding The ABC investigated the viewers concerns and concurred that the reference was incorrect. As the viewer had pointed out, indentured labour had ceased in Malaya in 1910.
7 ANZAC Day March 25 April 2004
The complaint A viewer complained that during the television coverage of the ANZAC Day March, a commentator indicated that the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam was not the most highly decorated unit in Australia. Finding The ABC agreed that this comment was inaccurate and that the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam was the most decorated unit.
The Einstein Factor 16 May 2004 The complaint Two viewers wrote to complain that this program incorrectly stated that R.M. Williams was the founder of the Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame when in fact it was Hugh Sawrey. Finding The ABC investigated the complaint and agreed that Hugh Sawrey was the founder of the Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame. R.M. Williams was one of several people involved, but was not the originator of the project. A clarification was broadcast on the program on 26 September 2004.
The Einstein Factor 26 September 2004
The complaint A viewer pointed out that the answer to a question about which country hosted the most winter Olympics- "America" - was incorrect because America is not a country. Finding The viewer was correct and The Einstein Factor question writers acknowledged their oversight.
Insiders 8 August 2004
The complaint A viewer was concerned that Barrie Cassidy referred to Governor-General Michael Jeffrey as Australia's Head of State. Finding The ABC acknowledged that this was an error. In fact, Queen Elizabeth II is Australia's Head of State.
At the Movies 12 August 2004
The complaint A viewer complained that in his review of the movie Eurotrip David Stratton inaccurately stated that it was not possible to travel from Paris to Berlin without a passport as was depicted in the film.
8 Finding The viewer was correct. Although not legal for visitors to the EU to travel without a passport, it is possible to travel within the EU without showing your passport.
Upheld complaints of factual inaccuracy relating to ABC Online
ABC News Online 29 May 2004
The complaint A reader wrote to complain that in a story about Mordechai Vanunu entitiled ‘Holocaust fears led Vanunu to blow whistle’, the phrase "regarded by some Israeli critics as a traitor" was used to describe Mr Vanunu. However, Mr Vanunu was a convicted traitor and had served an associated prison sentence. Finding The ABC agreed that the use of the phrase "regarded by some Israeli critics as a traitor" was inaccurate and the story was amended.
ABC News Online 19 June 2004
The complaint A reader complained that a report inaccurately implied that the Australian Government was planning to deliver toys to children detained on Nauru to mark World Refugee Day. Finding The ABC agreed that the story relating to World Refugee Day was inaccurate. In fact, the gifts had been arranged, at least in part, as a means of protest against the Government’s detention policy. The error occurred during the editing process and arose due to some unfortunate syntax in an original story. A corrected version of the story was posted online.
ABC News Online 25 June 2004
The complaint The complainant contacted the ABC about a News Online story (based on a Radio News story) about retention of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to Year 12. It was stated in the story that 13.8% of non-Indigenous people have completed Yr 12. Finding The ABC agreed that the figure quoted for non-Indigenous students completing Year 12 was incorrect and too low and the story was removed from the website. The mistake was caused by confusion in interpreting figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
ABC News Online 16 July 2004
The complaint The complainant was concerned about the headline for a News Online story dealing with a West Australian man charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The complainant was concerned that the headline, “Man on Terrorism Charge in WA” did not accurately represent the situation.
9 Finding The ABC agreed that the headline was inaccurate as the man was charged with conspiracy to commit murder rather than terrorism. There was some confusion at the time, because there was a suggestion early on that the man had been charged under the Federal Government's anti-terrorism provisions but it turned out not to be the case. The headline was changed prior to the complaint being received.
ABC News Online 19 July 2004 Complaint The ABC received two complaints of factual inaccuracy with respect to an article about the death of Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi. The story reported that she was detained during a prison riot when she was in fact taking photos of a prison and/or a demonstration outside it. Finding The ABC agreed that the story, sourced from an external news agency, was inaccurate and corrected it. All previous ABC Online stories relating to the issue stated that she was taking photographs of the prison and a protest or demonstration that was occurring there at the time.
ABC News Online 5 August 2004
The complaint The complainant was very concerned about the headline ‘Boom gate fails near scene of level crossing crash’ of an online news story dealing with the level crossing accident in Victoria in which a boom gate came down on a car at the crossing. The reader thought that the headline incorrectly implied that the boom gates had failed when there was no evidence of this having occurred. Finding The ABC agreed that there was an error in the headline and corrected it. The story itself did not assert that the boom gate failed, and the online producer should not have assumed that the gate must have failed in order to hit the car.
ABC News Online 28 July 2004
The complaint A plant pathologist complained that in a News Online story he had noticed that the plant disease Citrus Canker was being referred to as a virus when it was in fact caused by a bacterium. He commented that this appeared to be a common misconception as he had noticed that this mistake had been made by numerous media organisations. Finding The ABC agreed that Citrus Canker was being mistakenly referred to as a virus in reports about the disease and that this was inaccurate. This mistake was corrected.
10 ABC News Online 27 June 2004
The complaint A reader complained about an error in a report about cricket that stated "Opening batsman Kumar Sangakkara was voted man of the match after hitting 2903 not out in the tourists' first innings". Finding A proof-reading error had been made. Kumar Sangakkara had made 203. The error was corrected in the report.
ABC News Online 19 July 2004 The complaint A reader pointed out that in an article about a plan for Victorian scientists to map the genome of wallabies, the US National Institutes of Health was mistakenly referred to as the US National Institute of Health. Finding The error occurred during the sub-editing process. An amended story was posted online.
Upheld complaints of factual inaccuracy regarding radio programs.
ABC Radio News Victoria, 13 September 2004
The complaint A concerned listener wrote to the ABC to complain about an inaccurate report on radio news in Victoria in which it was stated that Australia had a case of the “human version of mad cow disease, 'vCJD'”, which caused the death of a patient in Melbourne. Finding The ABC agreed that the report erroneously implied that the patient’s death was due to “Mad Cow’s Disease” when the man actually died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). CJD has no connection to “Mad Cow’s Disease”. The story was immediately removed from the news system, and no further news reports contained this error.
ABC Radio News 774 Melbourne, 23 June 2004
The complaint A listener was concerned that a story alleging that US Defence Secretary Rumsfeld signed a document approving the use of "water boarding" on prisoners in Iraq was broadcast after the story had been retracted by the original source. Finding 774 ABC Melbourne broadcast a story in news bulletins at 4.00pm and 10.00pm on Wednesday 23 June concerning the memo that Mr Rumsfeld was alleged to have signed. By 4.00pm on Wednesday 23 June this story had been superseded, and new information had come to hand in the United States indicating that Mr Rumsfeld had not in fact approved the use of “water boarding”. This updated information was correctly broadcast in other states, but due to a communication breakdown, the out-of-date story continued to be broadcast in Victoria.
11 The World Today 702 Sydney, 12 July 2004
The complaint A listener complained that it was reported on The World Today that following a car crash, a Shadow Minister had resigned from the Victorian Parliament when in fact he had resigned from the front bench. Finding The ABC agreed that the report was inaccurate. Immediately following the broadcast of this report, the ABC became aware of the error and amended the mistake in the online transcript. Subsequent reports accurately stated that the Shadow Minister had resigned from the front bench.
ABC NewsRadio 21 August 2004
The complaint A listener contacted the ABC to complain that in a story about child trafficking in Kenya, it had been wrongly stated that the wife of the Anglican Archbishop of Kenya had been arrested on charges of child trafficking. Finding The story did not relate to the Anglican Archbishop of Kenya, as claimed in the introduction, but to the self proclaimed bishop Gilbert Deya of the Gilbert Deya Ministries.
AM 7 July 2004
The complaint A listener complained that in a story about concern over Israel's nuclear arsenal, the reporter referred to Israel as a "small state in a hostile neighbourhood" and that while "Israel is surrounded by states committed to its destruction, there will be no dialogue". The listener was concerned that this wording was not an accurate reflection of the situation. Finding The ABC agreed that the reference to Israel as "surrounded by states committed to its destruction" was an inaccurate statement. Israel's relationship with its Arab neighbours varies and the above statement is no longer true.
AM 8 July 2004 The complaint A listener wrote to complain that a story mentioning Mamdouh Habib mistakenly referred to him as having been arrested in Afghanistan in 2001. Finding The ABC agreed with the listener that in fact Mr Habib had been arrested in Pakistan in October 2001. The error was corrected in the online transcript.
12 AM 26 August 2004
The complaint A listener was concerned that a story about defrocking of former bishop, Donald Shearman, incorrectly stated that it was the first ever "defrocking" of a member of the clergy in Australia. Finding The ABC agreed that the statement was incorrect. The mistake arose as a result of a direct question to an Anglican Church Public Relations Officer. As it was the Church that was the source of the information, our reporter saw no need to make further checks. The online transcript of the story was corrected.
AM 8 July 2004 The complaint A listener wrote to express concern about a report on AM concerning a story about a joint training facility to be built in Shoalwater Bay. The listener was concerned that Shoalwater Bay was referred to as being in "North Queensland". Finding The ABC agreed that this reference was wrong. Shoalwater Bay is in fact in central Queensland. The ABC corrected the transcript of the story.
AM 4 August 2004
The complaint A listener complained that a reporter said that George Miller had directed the film Babe, when in fact Babe was directed by Chris Noonan and George Miller was the producer. Finding The ABC agreed that the statement was inaccurate.
ABC Radio News 24 June 2004
The complaint A listener complained that in a story about embryonic stem cell research it was reported that a company had been the first in Australia to make stem cells. Finding The ABC agreed that embryonic stem cells cannot be made by a company, and for the story to have said that was clearly an error. In this case the scientists were the first in Australia to extract stem cell lines from human embryos.
ABC Radio News 6 July 2004
The complaint A listener complained that in a story about Grant Hackett beating Ian Thorpe in an Olympic 200m swimming heat, Grant Hackett’s time was mistakenly stated as 49.18 s when it should have been 1 min 49.18 s.
13 Finding The problem was caused by a typographical error. The correct information was broadcast in later bulletins.
Grandstand 5 September 2004 The complaint A listener was concerned that in a conversation with a talkback caller, the presenter inaccurately stated that Jonathon Brown had already been reported four times this year when he had been reported only twice. Finding The listener was correct and the complaint was upheld.
Bias and Balance
Six complaints were upheld associated with issues of bias and balance.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News 29 July 2004
The complaint A viewer complained that a 7.00 PM Television News report on violence erupting during an Orange March in Northern Ireland was not accurate and withheld core information from the Australian public. Finding The complaint was upheld on the grounds of insufficient information in the report explaining why the march had degenerated into violence. The ABC agreed that it would have been more accurate to include the reason for the clashes - the fact that police did not enforce the restrictions on the marchers.
612 ABC Brisbane Conversations 21 September 2004
The complaint A listener complained that a presenter’s comment that "it is OK to vote for liars" in a panel discussion on 21 September was biased, as was a comment made later in the program when the presenter commented that Tony Abbott appeared to be "shifty". Finding The comment regarding “liars” was not considered problematic, as the presenter was putting a question in response to a comment made by a panel member. However, the ABC agreed that it was inappropriate for the presenter to refer to a Federal Minister as “shifty”.
774 ABC Melbourne Breakfast 15 September 2004 The complaint A listener complained that during a discussion with another presenter on the existence of highly sought after government schools, a presenter endorsed the ALP’s education policy, declaring that he thought it (the policy) "was good".
14 Finding The complaint was upheld on the grounds that the presenter failed to remain impartial during general discussion on the election campaign by supporting the ALP education policy.
Landline 6 June 2004 The complaint A viewer complained that a Landline program on bird scaring techniques was effectively an extended advertisement for a particular company, and failed to acknowledge other companies in the field. In addition the complainant was concerned that Landline continued to promote the product on its website, by supplying names, numbers and website details for the company. Finding The ABC acknowledged that, while it was not Landline’s intention, the program may have been construed as an endorsement of the product.
Four Corners, “A Blind Eye” 21 June 2004
The complaint A viewer contacted the ABC about the Four Corners program, 'A Blind Eye'. The complainant made a series of allegations about the program including: - that the program inaccurately portrayed the views of RSPCA representatives - that the program used footage out of context - that the treatment of interview subjects was biased; and - that the program misrepresented the RSPCA's willingness and ability to prosecute commercial intensive farming operations. Finding The ABC investigated the viewer’s complaints in detail and concluded that overall the program was accurate, balanced and effectively canvassed alternative viewpoints. However, the complaint was partially upheld for the misleading use of footage during a short sequence on the Australian live sheep export trade to the Middle East, which showed sheep of unknown origin being forcibly loaded into car boots in Kuwait. The ABC acknowledged that it was not made clear that the sheep depicted were not those exported from Australia.
Grandstand 19 August 2004
The complaint A listener was concerned that the radio commentary of the Olympic basketball game between Australia and the US was biased against the Americans. Finding The ABC reviewed the program in question, and agreed that the commentator became too involved in the commentary of the US versus Australia basketball match.
15 Unfair Treatment
Six complaints were upheld that alleged unfair treatment.
720 ABC Perth Mornings 1 July 2004 The complaint A listener was distressed by the racist nature of a joke that an ABC presenter told in which Japanese drivers were referred to as "Nips" and a joke was made about Japanese accents when speaking English. Finding The ABC agreed that the use of the words "nip" and "Jap" was unacceptable. The ABC also agreed that the joke regarding the Japanese pronunciation of Nelson Mandela was in poor taste.
ABC Classic FM Breakfast 12 August 2004
The complaint Two listeners complained that in introducing music sung by a counter tenor, the presenter commented that the countertenor was not gay but really a bloke who just happened to have an effete voice. He urged listeners not to dismiss counter tenors because of a perception that they were all gay, implying that he himself had previously done this. Finding The ABC agreed that the presenter’s comments were inappropriate and discriminatory. The presenter acknowledged that his comments regarding counter tenors were inappropriate and could be conceived as homophobic. He realised that in trying to address any perceived offence on air, he in fact made it worse.
702 ABC Sydney Breakfast 12 August 2004
The complaint A listener complained that in a segment about the Australia Council’s Books Alive program, the presenter was effectively advertising books, including giving prices for them. She also interviewed an author of the books previously highlighted, overtly advertising the author’s past and current books. Finding The ABC acknowledged the topic of the Australia Council’s Books Alive program should have been approached in a different manner, to avoid the impression that it was an endorsement for listeners to "go out and buy". The presenter should not have mentioned the prices of the Australian books. In addition, the ABC agreed that it was not appropriate for the author to be interviewed immediately after information had been given about a special offer on the price of her book.
16 891 ABC Adelaide Mornings 15 July 2004
The complaint A listener complained that over a period of time the 891 ABC Adelaide Mornings program had misrepresented how Council rates were calculated and whether or not they are linked to property prices. Specifically, the listener complained that on July 15, a presenter had expressed his disbelief in the complainant’s reported view that rate rises were not linked to rises in property values. Finding The complaint was upheld in relation to the remarks made by the presenter and the ABC acknowledged that these could have been better expressed.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News Queensland, 13 July 2004
The complaint A viewer wrote to complain that a news item featuring members of the Australian Democrats had failed to effectively identify them as belonging to the Party. In a story about a protest over the state government reducing funds to the Queensland Aids Council, Democrat Senator John Cherry was identified as a “Queensland Senator” and no reference to the party made on the on-screen text or “super”. Finding The ABC agreed that Senator Cherry was incorrectly "supered" or credited by a reporter in the newsroom.
(ii) Matters of taste and standards
Inappropriate content
There were 19 upheld complaints regarding inappropriate content such as violence, swearing, offence to religious feeling and poor taste.
Triple J, The Chat Room 1 August 2004
The complaint Two listeners contacted the ABC about a call-in segment in which the presenter asked listeners to call in with stories of lies they had told. One caller recounted a story of how he had taken advantage of his twin brother’s girlfriend at a birthday party, when she mistook him for his brother. The complainant was concerned that the presenter did not deal appropriately with the admission by clearly denouncing this criminal behaviour on air, but rather attempted to lighten the mood by implicitly equating the situation to tricking teachers and parents into believing he was his brother or vice versa. Finding The ABC reviewed the segment referred to and agreed that the presenter's handling of the call was inappropriate. Triple J's presenters are aware of their responsibilities both on-air and off-air. However, on this occasion the presenter’s inexperience in handling such a call live to air was evident.
17 The 7.30 Report 12 July 2004
The complaint A viewer was concerned that as part of a story on a doping scandal enveloping some members of Australia’s Olympic Cycle team, vision of quarantine officers was used to illustrate an aspect of the story about the Australian Customs Service. Finding The ABC agreed that the use of file footage was inappropriate. This error had been caused by an oversight.
ABC Classic FM Breakfast 9 July 2004 The complaint A listener was offended by the way in which the presenter introduced three Afro Brazilian pieces by a Brazilian composer. Finding The complaint was upheld on the grounds that the presenter was disparaging of the fact that the pieces were concerned with Afro-Brazilian spiritual practices and that after the music was played he mocked the fact that people follow new age style spiritual practices.
Radio National - The Religion Report 30 June 2004
Complaint A listener was concerned that the use of the word schizophrenic to characterise the condition of being a Muslim was inappropriate. Finding Although the presenter’s use of the term ‘schizophrenic’ was intended as a metaphor, the ABC agreed it was misplaced.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News National Sports Wrap, 20 June 2004
The complaint Two viewers complained that it was inappropriate that the sports reporter referred to the Panthers NRL team as schizophrenic. Finding The ABC agreed that the reporter should not have used the word schizophrenic to describe the Panthers NRL team.
Greenhouse Calculator game CD-Rom distributed to subscribers of CSIRO’s 'Scientriffic' magazine Complaint The ABC received two complaints from the parents of young children who had received ABC CD-Roms as part of a CSIRO 'Scientriffic' magazine subscription. The Greenhouse Calculator included on the CD upset both children as it predicted when the child would die. Finding Designed for young people aged 15 years and above, the Greenhouse Calculator works on the basis that there is a finite amount of resources on the planet, and it determines the
18 player's life expectancy based on their own consumption of such resources. The message conveyed is intended to be confronting, and it was designed to make the player more aware of the ramifications that their lifestyle may have on the environment. However, in light of the broad distribution of the CD-Rom via Scientriffic magazine, the ABC acknowledged that the disc should have been accompanied by a consumer warning, clearly advising that the game was not suitable for young people under the age of 15.
The World at War 11 July 2004 Complaint Four viewers complained that the episode broadcast on 11 July contained graphic images of war, including images of mutilated corpses on the battle field, that were inappropriate for the G timeslot. Finding The ABC agreed that the program was inappropriately classified for broadcast. Even taking into account an expectation that an in-depth series titled The World At War was likely to contain war footage, the confronting images were unsuitable for the G timeslot.
ABC 7.00 PM Television News New South Wales, 21 June, 8 September and 13 September 2004
The complaint Three separate complaints were received about failure to warn viewers of confronting images in three 7.00 PM Television News bulletins: A viewer was concerned that a warning was not shown prior to a story which showed images of a Korean hostage pleading for his life before his captors in Iraq. A viewer complained that footage of the Beslan school siege hostage crisis was shown on ABC 7.00 PM News with no prior warning that the images about to be broadcast were graphic and potentially disturbing. A viewer complained that in a story about a news reporter being killed and a cameraman seriously injured in Iraq, footage showing the reporter’s blood spattered across the camera screen, should have been preceded with a warning. Finding The ABC agreed that, in each case, the images were disturbing and should have been preceded by a warning to viewers.
97.3 ABC Illawarra Breakfast 18 June 2004 Complaint A listener was offended by explicit sexual language in a story about “Swinging”, broadcast on the Breakfast program in the 5.30 – 6.00 AM timeslot. The listener was also concerned about the lack of moral content in the broadcast and the condoning of bisexuality. Finding The complaint was upheld due to failure to issue a warning prior to the program. The item was an excerpt from a social documentary program entitled “Swingers” which was presenting the experiences of people who venture to The Couples Club in Surry Hills, Sydney, to swap sexual partners. The program was not promoting this activity, nor the morality behind it. While the ABC believed that the subject was a legitimate topic for the ABC to explore, Local Radio management questioned the placement of this segment during the Breakfast program.
19 Grandstand 22 August 2004
The complaint Two listeners were offended when a commentator from Brisbane doing his half time summary of the Brisbane v St Kilda AFL match used the expression 'for Christ's sake' to emphasise a point. Finding The ABC agreed that this phrase was inappropriate in the context used.
Standards of Presentation
There were seven upheld complaints regarding standards of presentation such as spelling and pronunciation, sound quality and personal presentation.
Foreign Correspondent 1 June 2004 The complaint A viewer contacted the ABC about a story on Foreign Correspondent concerning sorcery in Papua New Guinea that incorrectly used the word "descendent" instead of “ancestor”. Finding The ABC agreed that the wrong terminology had been used.
Compass 13 June 2004
The complaint A viewer contacted the ABC to complain that a voiceover advertising the following week’s Compass program about Harry Potter cut in over the end of the program about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Finding The voice-over regarding Harry Potter was accidentally played too early. It was not a deliberate editorial decision
Stateline (NSW) 18 June 2004
The complaint A viewer contacted the ABC to complain that "homicide" was mis-spelt as “homocide” on a Stateline super on Friday 18 June Finding The ABC agreed that the word had been misspelt. The presenter apologised for the error later in the program.
Online TV schedule 19 July 2004 The complaint An audience member contacted the ABC to complain that the online television schedule had not been updated to include details of programming for the upcoming evening.
20 Finding The problem was caused by an ongoing technical issue which meant that information from the publicity database was not always being uploaded to the website.
ABC 8.30 PM Television News Update Victoria, 27 August 2004 The complaint A viewer in Victoria complained that the weather at the end of the bulletin displayed a map of NSW rather than of Victoria or Australia. Finding The update in question is normally produced in Melbourne, but on this occasion had been produced in Sydney as a national update. The weather data read by the presenter was national, but the wrong graphic was shown - a NSW map instead of the national map.
News Online 2 September 2004 The complaint A reader pointed out that an online article 'UN says Sudan failing to disarm militias', included the phrase "reigning in the Arab Janjaweed militia" in which an inappropriate spelling of ‘reining’ was used, the phrase should have read "reining in the Arab Janjaweed militia". Finding The ABC agreed that the word had been misspelt. The mistake was corrected soon after publication.
Cricket in the 80s 14 September 2004
The complaint A viewer brought to our attention that in a promotion for the documentary, an apostrophe was inappropriately used in the titles which read: “Cricket in the 80’s”. Finding The mistake unfortunately slipped past the ABC promotions production team. It was subsequently corrected.
(iii) Complaints handling
During the three-month period there were seven complaints upheld on matters relating to complaints handling.
1. The complaint A viewer claimed that there was discrimination in report on ABC 7.00 PM Television News about two Thai prostitutes killed in Darwin. The news report allegedly claimed that Asian crime gangs were responsible. Finding The ABC believed that the report was reasonable. The reporter’s question did not presume that Asian gangs had committed the crime – it simply gave the police the opportunity to respond to rumours that had been circulating in the local community. However, the ABC agreed that incorrect information had been provided to the complainant in earlier correspondence. The complainant had been advised that it was the Northern Territory Police
21 who were speculating on the ethnicity of the possible murderers of the sex workers. In fact it was the ABC reporter asking the police to respond to rumours that Asian gangs were involved in the murders. The ABC apologised to the complainant and supplied the correct information.
2. The complaint A viewer complained of “NSW reporting bias” in coverage of the Victorian weather on ABC 7.00 PM television News and was dissatisfied with the response to his complaint. Finding While the ABC was satisfied that the weather coverage was adequate, the complaint should have been referred to Audience & Consumer Affairs in the first instance, and the tone of the initial response to the complaint had been inappropriate.
3. The complaint A listener complained of bias in a report on PM about a female security guard who had shot and killed a man. Finding While the substance of the complaint was not upheld, the reporter replied directly to the complaint when it should have been referred to Audience & Consumer Affairs.
4. The complaint A viewer wrote in July 2004 to complain that they had sent an email in September 2003, but apart from an initial automatically generated acknowledgement had not yet received a response. Finding The ABC could find no record of the original email but acknowledged that since the correspondent had received an auto-reply, the email must have been received. The ABC apologised to the complainant for the oversight.
5. The complaint A listener complained that they had not received a response to their enquiry dated several months earlier about the possibility of ABC NewsRadio being broadcast to the Sunshine Coast. Finding While the ABC had no record of receiving the original letter, a copy had been provided by the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts in June, in response to the complainant’s enquiry to the then Minister for Communications, The Hon Daryl Williams MP. As a matter of courtesy, the ABC considered that it should have written to the listener at that time, as well as providing the requested information to the Department. The ABC apologised to the complainant and provided the information requested.
6. The complaint Two complainants responded as part of an Audience & Consumer Affairs customer satisfaction survey that they had not received a response to a previous complaint. Finding Audience & Consumer Affairs investigated and found that responses had been prepared and sent but that they had been wrongly addressed and so had not been received by the complainants. The ABC re-sent the responses to the initial complaints along with an apology and explanation of what had happened.
22 4. Summary of investigations completed by the Complaints Review Executive
During the period 1 July to 30 September 2004, the CRE finalised investigations into nineteen matters. In four cases the complaints were upheld or partially upheld.
1. Unfair treatment of an interviewee by 612 ABC Brisbane’s Mornings presenter
The Managing Director referred this complaint to the CRE for investigation in the first instance. The person complained that the 612 ABC Brisbane’s Mornings presenter behaved unprofessionally towards him in an interview by referring on air to an incident that had happened some years ago. The complainant considered this to be a gratuitous attempt to resurrect old allegations, of which he had been cleared, and which had previously been the subject of a clarification and deed of settlement by the ABC. The complainant also alleged that the program had not adequately covered stories that he had provided to the program.
The CRE noted that the reference to the incident was justified, in the context of the broader story being examined by 612 ABC Brisbane. However, as the ABC had previously been in dispute with the complainant over the reporting of this issue, and a clarifying statement had been read to air on ABC television that made it clear that the complainant had not been involved in any illegal activity, the CRE considered that it would have been appropriate and preferable for the presenter to have mentioned this as part of his coverage of the developing story on political donation regulatory reform. This aspect of the complaint was upheld.
On the matter of the complainant’s access to the program, the CRE noted that the complainant had been offered opportunities to appear on the program on recent months. This aspect of the complaint was not upheld.
2. Systemic pro-Israeli reporting on ABC News and Current Affairs programs.
A complainant wrote to the ABC on 13, 28 October, 11, 24 November, 12 December 2003 and 12 January, 19 February and 25 March 2004 outlining his detailed concerns about items broadcast on AM, PM, ABC Television News, Local Radio’s Sunday Night with John Cleary, Radio National’s Breakfast, The World Today, ABC Online News, Late Night Live, ABC Local Radio, The Morning Show, ABC TV Insiders, The 7.30 Report and Stateline. The complainant identified the above range of programs as cases of partisan and, at times, inaccurate broadcasting with a systemic pattern of pro-Israeli reporting. The complainant further advised that the ABC’s responses to his concerns were inadequate. The CRE’s review considered some 23 separate matters raised by the complainant.
The CRE concluded that two reports – one on PM and one published on News Online – which referred to declining population growth were incorrect. In fact, while the overall Australian population is increasing, the rate of population growth has remained steady.
The CRE review therefore upheld two of the complainant’s complaints. The remaining allegations of ABC bias and the inadequacy of the ABC’s responses to him were not upheld.
23 3. Four Corners Program A Blind Eye.
A viewer complained that the program's treatment of battery cage farms was substandard. The complainant considered that the program showed grotesque footage provided by Animal Liberation and simply left it to viewers to draw their own conclusions, rather than taking a fair and balanced approach.
The CRE noted that the footage of caged birds was a factual representation of part of the current industry. While News and Current Affairs programs are not required to give all sides of an issue the same amount of time, stating that more modern systems are also used would have given viewers another perspective. However, in the CRE’s view, the non-inclusion of details about new cage systems did not amount to lack of balance across a program that asked if the RSPCA was ‘living up to its brave motto or have the very forces it is supposed to police captured it’. When the context was considered as a whole, this was a legitimate area for the program to explore.
The CRE also commented on the handling of the viewer’s complaint and noted that the Editorial Policy requirement for complaints to be forwarded promptly to Head Audience and Consumer Affairs for assessment did not occur in this case. The complaint was therefore partially upheld in relation to complaint handling.
The CRE recommended that News & Current Affairs management formally remind the relevant staff of procedures for handling written complaints. The Executive Producer and Reporter were reminded accordingly and were reprimanded for the failure to observe complaint handling procedures.
4. AM – Misrepresentation of media access to HMAS Kanimbla during the war in Iraq.
This complaint arose from a statement made on AM about media access to HMAS Kanimbla during the war in Iraq. The ABC considered that its crews were inhibited from gaining access to the Kanimbla, unlike other media. The complainant, on the other hand, argued that there was no barrier to the ABC accessing the Kanimbla, and that the Corporation had declined an opportunity for its news and current affairs staff to board the Kanimbla.
The CRE reviewed emails sent from various News & Current Affairs staff to the ADF and sought additional information from relevant staff. He concluded that the complainant’s position could not be sustained.
The complaint was not upheld.
5. Anti-Coalition bias in ABC Radio news promotions.
A listener complained that a “More than just the headlines” promotion aired on ABC Radio lacked balance and was simply a series of anti-Coalition quotes about Mick Keelty’s statements in regard to the Madrid train bombings. At the same time as he expressed his dissatisfaction with the ABC’s response to his complaint about this promotion, he expressed a new concern about a different “More than just the headlines” promotion which he considered was anti-Bush and anti-Coalition.
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The CRE considered each promotion and concluded that both included an appropriate range of views and had achieved the required balance.
The complaints were not upheld.
6. Anti- Israel reporting in News & Current Affairs.
The CRE also finalised reviews into four separate complaints lodged by a single complainant.
The complainant alleged that a News Online story titled Sharon vows to hit Palestinian militants "wherever they hide" inappropriately focused on Israeli aggression and de-emphasised the immoral holding of body parts by Palestinians. The CRE concluded that the story was accurate and impartial and included the reaction of the Israeli Prime Minister as well as details of the Palestinian killings of Israeli soldiers. The CRE noted that a news story is not a vehicle for a reporter to engage in analysis of moral culpability.
The complaint was not upheld.
The complainant alleged that a News Online story titled Helicopter attack kills three Palestinians falsely accused Israel of the war crime of firing on civilians. The CRE noted that the firing of the missile in question occurred while there were local people in the vicinity of an earlier missile hit. This was a matter of fact rather than an implied suggestion that local people were targeted. The CRE did not believe that there was a substantive difference between the ABC’s reference to the second missile being fired ‘a few minutes later’ and the reports of Reuters and the BBC, which stated that the second missile had been fired ‘a few moments later’.
The complaint was not upheld.
The complainant alleged that the ABC’s practice of using terms such as “radical” or “militant” to describe groups such as Hamas, and recommended that the ABC adopt the Australian Government’s listing of terrorist groups.
The CRE did not uphold the complaint, noting that ABC reporters have been briefed to provide the facts, clearly and accurately, enabling our audience to make their own judgements and conclusions. Where labels have been ascribed to an individual or group by a third party, and used by the ABC, this will be made clear in the broadcast.
The complainant was concerned about a News Online story, Boy dies in continuing Rafah unrest, which reported the views of a Palestinian doctor who said that a young Palestinian boy had died of neurogenic shock – that is, literally died of fear. The complainant felt that this was nothing more than Palestinian propaganda. The CRE noted that a spokesman from the Gaza Community Mental Health Program was identified by name and his comments reported, and that neurogenic shock is a recognised condition of the nervous system and is not a fictional diagnosis.
25 The CRE found it difficult to equate this report as ‘propaganda’ and did not uphold the complaint.
7. Innappropriate content in the programs Enough Rope, Late Night Live, and The World Today.
A complainant expressed dissatisfaction with the ABC’s response to his complaints about three programs. In each case, the CRE concluded that the complaints were not upheld.
Enough Rope, 5 April – The complainant was concerned that the program had allowed a “serious allegation” to be made about UK Prime Minister Tony Blair by conman Peter Foster. The CRE concluded that while the interview was confronting in its content, the interrogation of Foster demonstrated that he was someone who could not always be taken at his word. His allegations about the Blairs had to be understood in this context.
Late Night Live, 5 April – The complainant felt that the program contained inappropriate commentary from Phillip Adams and Max Gillies which represented a “sustained dialogue of denigration of the Prime Minister”. The CRE noted that the segment was clearly satirical and had to be considered in this context. The CRE observed that rather than being ‘grossly party political’, the work of Max Gillies has parodied Prime Minister Bob Hawke as well as Mr Howard.
The World Today, 22 April – The complainant considered that the program’s reference to a “steady stream” of countries exiting the “Coalition of the Willing” was a “wholly inaccurate and highly coloured representation”. The CRE noted that three nations in succession had indicated that they were leaving, or contemplating leaving the “Coalition of the Willing”. Use of the term ‘steady stream’ did not amount to misrepresentation of what was happening. Rather, the description ‘steady stream’ is an often-used colloquial term to indicate events in quick succession.
8. ABC Online - Anti-Israel bias in News & Current Affairs reporting.
A complainant alleged anti-Israel bias in the ABC’s reporting of News and Current Affairs, and particularly highlighted the coverage of a Palestinian boy who had been shot and killed in the West Bank. Early radio news reports indicated that the boy had been shot by Israeli soldiers, whereas the Israelis reported that the boy had died as a result of a stray bullet which had been fired by a Palestinian gunman.
As the statutory deadline for the retention of broadcast material had elapsed by the time the complainant’s request for review was received, the CRE was unable to review the audio of the news broadcast to which the complainant had objected. However, on the basis of an ABC News Online report which had been published at the same time, and which had also been referred to by the complainant, the CRE was unable to uphold the complaint that the ABC’s reporting of this incident was “blatant lies” and “a vilification of the Israeli Defense Forces”.
26 9. The Third World War – inaccurate representation of knowledge of Australian Government prior to the bombings in Bali.
A viewer complained that the documentary program, The Third World War, deliberately and inaccurately suggested that Australia did not know that there had been clear cut intelligence that Bali was a likely terrorist target, and unfairly criticised the travel warnings in place at that time.
The CRE concluded that the program had been fair and accurate in its representation of intelligence prior to the terrorist attack. FBI information was available that arguably would have pointed a reasonable analyst to examine Bali as a potential target. The Director General of ASIO did not have access to this information and therefore it was accurate for the program to have stated that Australia did not know that Bali was a potential terrorist target.
In relation to travel warnings, the CRE noted that travel warnings in place at that time had included references to ‘tourist services in Bali are operating normally’. The program summarised this advice colloquially as ‘business as usual’. The complainant’s allegation that no such meaning had been conveyed could not be upheld.
10. Media Watch – misrepresentation of the comparative degree of auditing of the ABC for bias compared to commercial broadcasters.
A viewer complained about a Media Watch segment dealing with the monitoring of ABC programs by Rehame and the time taken to respond to his complaint. The complainant asserted that the presenter had said that the ABC was overly audited for bias compared to its commercial counterparts. The CRE noted that the only comparative comment the presenter had made in the program referred to the available avenues for complaint about broadcasts, and the observation had been accurate. The CRE noted that the response to the complainant had been provided within the relevant statutory timeframe.
The complaint was not upheld.
11. Lack of balance in ABC’s coverage of alleged detainee mistreatment in Guantanamo Bay
A complainant expressed his concern that the ABC’s coverage of alleged detainee mistreatment in Guantanamo Bay had omitted ‘detailed statements’ from Terry Waite which were damaging to the United States. The CRE pointed to a number of broadcasts that had referred to Terry Waite’s comments and concluded that the complainant’s observations of this coverage amounted to an opinion of the adequacy of ABC coverage. Such a point of view, however, could not be equated with sustaining evidence of a breach of accuracy or the requirements of balance.
The complaint was not upheld.
27 12. 612 ABC Brisbane – pro-ALP bias.
A listener complained that the 612 ABC Brisbane Mornings presenter had, in response to plagiarism allegations, “jumped to the defence of Mr Latham in a very overt and unbalanced way, categorically supporting Latham's defence that he was using ideas from Mem Fox” (a well-known Australian children’s author).
The CRE reviewed the broadcast and concluded that the issue of Mr Latham’s speech was a matter of importance and the excerpt played from an earlier interview with Mem Fox was a relevant viewpoint. It is common practice for Local Radio to replay material from earlier programs and in this case it was appropriate for 612 ABC Brisbane to relate locally produced material to a current national issue. The CRE concluded that the material was used to generate discussion during talkback rather than to ‘jump to the defence of Mr Latham in a very overt and unbalanced way’ as claimed by the complainant.
The complaint was not upheld.
13. Foreign Correspondent – unbalanced report on Eritrea.
A viewer complained that a Foreign Correspondent report on Eritrea failed to achieve the required balance, as it did not include information that the CIA was behind a coup and assassination attempt against the Eritrean government.
After reviewing the segment, the CRE found that the complainant’s claim of imbalance was not justified. The segment provided relevant viewpoints expressed in interviews with Eritrea’s President and Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, as well as critics of the government. The fact that other material, suggested by the complainant to be relevant, was not included in the story did not detract from the report on the current situation in the country and the exploration of the possible resolution of issues.
The complaint was not upheld.
14. Strictly Dancing – inappropriate portrayal of women on the program.
A viewer complained about the portrayal of women in the program Strictly Dancing, and particularly what she considered to be tacky attire (or lack of) and general cheap sexual overtones. The complainant was also dissatisfied with the way her complaint was handled.
The CRE noted that the type of clothing worn by contestants is in common use at contemporary dance competitions and could find no evidence to suggest that the costumes were especially selected by the program to emphasise women’s bodies. Nor could the CRE agree with the complainant’s view that the camera angles used by the program ‘over emphasised’ the body parts of the women competitors, either through the use of close ups or lingering shots.
In terms of complaint handling, the CRE noted the explanation provided by Audience & Consumer Affairs for the delay in responding to the viewer’s complaint. The CRE noted that new software had been implemented which would assist with timely responses to emailed correspondence in the future.
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The complaint was not upheld.
15. Lateline – complaint that interview with John Howard was not sufficiently testing.
A viewer referred a complaint to the CRE for review, alleging that the presenter was insufficiently testing in an interview with the Prime Minister.
The CRE observed that the questions in the interview with the Prime Minister contained a range of perspectives. Mr Howard’s strong reaction to some of the points raised by the presenter indicated to the CRE that the questions were more substantial than the ‘feather duster’ approach claimed by the complainant. The CRE concluded that the complainant’s observations about the interviewing style of the presenter amounted to an opinion and reflected a strong interest in the issues covered on the program. However, such observations do not equate to evidence of a breach of ABC requirements for balance.
The complaint was not upheld.
16. Four Corners - A Blind Eye provided an unbalanced representation of the issue.
A viewer complained that the Four Corners program dealing with the RSPCA, “A Blind Eye”, was unfairly selective in the information it presented. The viewer was also concerned that the contribution of an ABC staff member who was interviewed in the program represented a conflict of interest for the Corporation.
The CRE viewed the program and observed that Fours Corners had identified several principal issues and sought viewpoints on these within the time available. As with any current affairs program, material would have been eliminated during the production process. However, it was the CRE’s view that a range of perspectives was presented on the principal issues selected for coverage by the program.
The CRE noted that the ABC staff member referred to by the complainant is a general television producer based in Adelaide and does not work for News and Current Affairs. The CRE referred to section 5.5 of the ABC Editorial Policies which states that there is a potential conflict of interest where an employee has an association with an organisation (director or substantial shareholder) that could become a conflict of interest, or actual conflict of interest where an employee has an interest in an association …and they are asked to interview someone from that organisation. As this staff member was not a director of the RSPCA, nor a Four Corners reporter interviewing members/associates of the RSPCA, the CRE perceived no conflict on interest, and therefore nothing to declare as suggested by the complainant.
The complaint was not upheld.
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