After an investigation into a contentious debate on The Point: Australia Decides, aired on 14 October, SBS Ombudsman Amy Stockwell discovered two violations of the broadcaster’s Code of Practice.
The probe was initiated following eight complaints lodged under the Code.
The identified breaches pertained to the principles of impartiality and balance. These were highlighted during an intense interview where Warren Mundine, a former SBS Board Member and advocate of the ‘No’ campaign, sharply criticized Marcia Langton, a supporter of the ‘Yes’ campaign. Mundine expressed his refusal to consider comments from someone he perceived as viewing Australia as a racist country.
The show’s host, Narelda Jacobs, interceded, defending Langton, whom she termed a “national treasure.” Jacobs contended that Langton’s words had been misconstrued. Langton herself refuted the allegation that she had labeled those opposing her view as “racist” or “stupid,” stating that her comments at a Bunbury referendum event were taken out of context.
“I’m not going to take any comments from a person who thinks that we are a racist country, and that we are racist people,”
Mundine remarked during the debate.
Ombudsman Stockwell addressed Mundine’s complaint by clarifying the misunderstanding regarding the comments made by Langton.
“You have indicated in your complaint you were referring to a recording of comments reportedly made by Professor Langton in 2017.
The host and panellists understood you were referring to comments made by Professor Langton the previous month in Bunbury …
Given the timing and the context of the program, the host’s belief you were referring to the comments made by the Professor during the referendum campaign was not unreasonable.”
However, the Ombudsman noted a particular concern with Jacobs’ closing statement, where she said, “Well, we’ve just seen who Warren Mundine is”. Stockwell observed that the phrasing and specific character judgment indicated a bias, contravening the impartiality standards of the Code.
In response to the findings, SBS issued an apology to Mundine and confirmed that the contentious content would not be rebroadcast. The broadcaster stated that the primary goal of the program’s team was to maintain clarity, factuality, and a safe environment for discussion.
SBS and NITV expressed support for their teams’ efforts in providing comprehensive and unbiased coverage of the referendum. This coverage included The Point, which traversed 39,000km to broadcast from diverse locations across Australia, amplifying the voices of First Nations communities.
SOURCE: Daily Telegraph
SBS has breached a lot more code, it’s now in their DNA 😬
The Shame lays firmly at the feet of the STIG and other “instigators” of Harakiri 😬