Today, Radio 4, 8 July 2024

Complaint

In an interview with the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s Paris Correspondent, the presenter made reference to β€œpeople well to the left, indeed the racist left”. Β A listener complained that without names or examples, this risked spreading false stories of antisemitism. Β The ECU considered whether the broadcast met the standards of due accuracy set out in the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Editorial Guidelines.


Outcome

The ECU considered the presenter was attempting to contrast different elements of the French left which made common cause under the banner of the New Popular Front, butΒ  could not be said to be ideologically compatible.Β  He did not specify who he was referring to, but some supporters of the party La France Insoumise, which did not take part in a national march against antisemitism, had been accused of racism.Β  Whilst ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ News said he was not referring to the whole of the left as racist, it accepted his thought could have been expressed better; but in the absence of any particular allegation against any specific political organisation the ECU did not consider the reference inaccurate or misleading.

Not Upheld