ABC breached impartiality rules
The ABC has breached the impartiality provisions of its own Code of Practice in a Catalyst program ‘Feeding Australia: Foods of Tomorrow’.
The program was focused on more sustainable ways to produce food, including fish, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, avocados and protein with a focus on beef.
An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found that the program failed to present the production of beef with due impartiality, as it did for other foods.
“It is an editorial decision of the broadcaster as to how particular matters will be presented. However, the code requires that the overall presentation must still be done so in a manner that achieves due impartiality,” said ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin.
ACMA found Catalyst used dramatic visual displays, emotive language and moral arguments in the segments that referred to beef. In aggregate, these caused the program to demonstrate a lack of fair treatment and open-mindedness.
“The sustainability of Australia’s food supply is an important topic for discussion on which there will be different views held in the community. The ACMA considers that, had the program dealt with some matters differently, the program may have met the code requirement for impartiality,” said Ms O’Loughlin.
ACMA also assessed the accuracy of various statements about beef production in the program and found no breach of the code.
As a result of the investigation, the report has been communicated to the program’s production team. Given the ABC’s strong track record of compliance with the code, ACMA accepted that this as an appropriate action.
Murdoch is definitely biased. ABC is a valuable source of information and compared to Murdoch press it is extremely trustworthy. Fact check can be applied when in doubt. Everyone has a bias. It depends on whether lies are told like in the recent election and the figures were detailed on Murdoch influenced papers and broadcasting bore this out. People who continually watch Murdoch will not be able to judge on the authenticity of the ABC because they are brainwashed. People also believe what they want to believe despite any proof to the contrary.