ACMA Finds TCN Nine Breaches Code
60 Minutes unfairly identified a NSW public school, Bowraville Central School, during a segment about racial segregation titled 'Class Act', the Australian Communications and Media Authority has found.
The ACMA concluded TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (TCN) breached the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice (2004) by broadcasting the 60 Minutes segment in May last year.
‘This case highlights broadcasters need to take care that the footage they use accurately illustrates the issue they are referring to, so viewers are not misled’ said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA.
The segment focused on a number of Aboriginal students from country New South Wales, in particular the northern NSW town of Bowraville, who had won scholarships to some of Sydney’s elite non-government schools.
The ACMA found the 60 Minutes segment had unfairly inferred Bowraville Central School had been physically segregated on racial lines.
In the segment TCN showed only footage of Bowraville Central School while its reporter said: 'It wasn’t so long ago that fences separated black and white students at Bowraville schools'. The ACMA found a viewer would have assumed that Bowraville Central School had been segregated on racial lines by fences.
No evidence was received from TCN to suggest that at any time in the recent past 'fences separated black and white students' at Bowraville Central School. Other evidence from former teachers and students was submitted refuting the claim children had been segregated at Bowraville Central School, although evidence was received by the ACMA stating that segregation had occurred at other schools in the area.
This breached a provision of the code requiring broadcasters not to unfairly identify a single person or business when commenting on the behaviour of a group of persons or businesses.
In response to the breach finding, the licensee informed the ACMA that it had met with the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes, together with the producers and reporters, to review the finding. The licensee also informed the ACMA that the investigation report will now form part of all its future current affairs code training sessions. The ACMA considers these actions address for the moment the compliance issues raised by the investigation, but will continue to monitor the licensee’s performance in this regard.
The ACMA dismissed a claim the segment was inaccurate and unfair in other respects. The ACMA also did not accept a claim the segment had breached a requirement groups not be portrayed in a negative light by unnecessary emphasis on characteristics such as race.
