★★★★★ 0/5

ACMA breach: 60 Minutes story not so black and white

A story on NSW schools unfairly implied fences separated black and white students at a regional school.

7
Leave a comment

60 Minutes has been found to have breached the Code of Practice when it unfairly identified a NSW public school during a segment about racial segregation titled ‘Class Act‘ last May.

The story 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 schools.

The segment showed footage of Bowraville Central School while reporter Ellen Fanning said: “It wasn’t so long ago that fences separated black and white kids at Bowraville schools. Now, there are a new set of problems. When whole families are unemployed, plagued by drugs and alcohol, it’s little wonder that more kids wag school than actually go.”

The Australian Communications and Media Authority found a viewer would have assumed the school had been segregated on racial lines by fences.

It ruled 60 Minutes had breached the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice. Broadcasters must not unfairly identify a single person or business when commenting on the behaviour of a group of persons or businesses.

“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.

Nine has told ACMA that it had met with the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes, producers and reporters, to review the finding and it will now form part of all its future current affairs code training sessions.

ACMA has concluded “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.”

7 Responses

  1. Totally agree, newtaste. ACMA is just a bunch of useless bureaucrats sitting on their hands. And now they want to give that Department censorship powers. This country is going to be even more of a major global backwater once Conroy and his pen-pushers have finished with it.

  2. Nine says that won’t do it again and ACMA says ok that’s fine. Same old ACMA rubbish decision. The FCC in the US and Ofcom in the UK actually have some balls. It is about time ACMA got some.

  5. “Broadcasters need to take care that the footage they use accurately illustrates the issue they are referring to, so viewers are not misled”. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge…carry on chaps.

  6. “ACMA has concluded “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.”

    of course.

Leave a Reply