Complaint
The programme included a report about the effects of new trading arrangements on exporters and businesses in Scotland following Britain’s exit from the European Union.  A viewer complained that, by focusing only on firms “apparently damaged†by the new arrangements, it had conveyed an unbalanced view of the impact of Brexit.Ìý The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s Editorial Guidelines on impartiality.
Outcome
The report was introduced in these terms:
It's almost a year since the UK Government and European Union concluded a very long negotiation on the deal with which Britain then left the European single market. Brexit's advocates say there will be long term economic benefits, but it's been a tough year for some of the Scottish businesses most affected as our Business and Economy Editor, Douglas Fraser, has been finding out.
The ECU noted the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s Editorial Guidelines on impartiality say “We may produce content about any subject, at any point on the spectrum of debate, as long as there are good editorial reasons for doing soâ€, and considered it legitimate for the report to confine itself on this occasion to “the Scottish businesses most affected†by Brexit.Ìý However, a programme adopting such an approach should maintain impartiality by exploring other aspects of the topic within a reasonable timeframe, which had not happened in the case of Reporting Scotland.Ìý The ECU noted that the reporter had conducted research across all sectors of the Scottish economy in preparing the report, which had led him to conclude that improved performance in some areas was attributable to factors other than Brexit.Ìý It is generally agreed however, that Brexit has had a differential effect, bearing hardest on the kind of small businesses featured in the report, so there was at least a need to reflect areas where its impact had been less negative, whether on this occasion or in an appropriately linked programme.
Upheld
Further action
The finding was reported to the management of Â鶹ԼÅÄ Scotland and discussed with the programme-makers concerned.