Complaint
The programme contained a sequence which examined Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News coverage of the trial of Scarlett Blake (a trans woman convicted of murder).Β A viewer complained that the inclusion of two anonymous social media posts, expressing views opposed to two named contributors who spoke in the sequence, introduced inaccuracies and bias against the gender-critical views of the named speakers.Β The ECU considered the complaints in the light of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
Newswatch gives members of the audience an opportunity to express their views aboutΒ Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News and, in some cases, for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News to respond. Β In the ECU’s judgement, viewers would have recognised that both the named and anonymous contributions were expressions of opinion rather than statements of fact, and would have judged them accordingly.Β Consequently there was no departure from due accuracy.Β The ECU also regarded the social media posts as providing balance for the views expressed by the named contributors, and did not regard the fact that their authors were not named as raising any issue of bias.
Not Upheld