Hi all,
I have enjoyed reading all your excellent
letters - could everyone who has written (or intends to write) PLEASE also
send an official letter of complaint to 60 mins as well - with the
intent to also write to the Australian Broadcasting Authority also. (their
website - www.aba.gov.au). This way -
they HAVE to do something about us - ie. really read our letter AND
respond (as with the mailbag - they can pretty much dismiss the majority
of us and show a handpicked letter they think will suit them
best!).
Letters need to be addressed to -
'The Managing Editor - 60 Minutes. Mr Mark Llewellyn. PO Box 600
Willoughby 2068' or you can fax to 0294360527.
The correct process of official complaints
is - 1. complain in writing, directly to the station. Provide
specific details such as time and date of broadcast, as well as the nature
of the material you think has breached a code of
practice.
2. if you do not receive a response within
60 days, or if you consider the response to be inadequate, you may refer
your compaint to the ABA ( you will need to enclose a copy of your
original letter and their response (if they respond!)).
I have cut/pasted a portion from the
website which states the code of practice for commercial tv - and in
particular - news and current affairs. From browsing the 'code
of practice for current affair programs' - it appears we can argue
that 4.3.1 has been breached..... maybe even 4.3.2????
It's a shame that we
can't use the 4.4.1 one - as that is most significant - but it is under
the 'news programs' heading???
thanks all - and happy
letter writing,
kindest
regards,
Nicole
ps. thank you Jo for
lending me the tape of the 60 mins segment (due to dilemmas taping it for
myself on Sun night!) - I have just watched it - and feel even more wound
up - than I did after reading the transcript.
Justine - you did so
amazingly well - I LOVED the snippets from your birth
videos.
pss. has anyone found
out the contact details for Tracy Curio as yet??? ( I am DISMAYED at her
attitude towards the baby's BIRTH day - that she very conveniently
considers everything POST baby as important - what was her attitude
to her baby whilst he was growing inside her???
)
Content regulation
Commerical television code of practice
Section 4: News and Current Affairs Programs
Objectives
Scope
of the Code
News
and Current Affairs Programs
Objectives
4.1 This Section is intended to ensure that:
4.1.1 news and current affairs programs are presented accurately and
fairly;
4.1.2 news and current affairs programs are presented with care,
having regard to the likely composition of the viewing audience and, in
particular, the presence of children;
4.1.3 news and current affairs take account of personal privacy and
of cultural differences in the community;
4.1.4 news is presented impartially.
Scope of the Code
4.2 Except where otherwise indicated, this Section applies to news
programs, news flashes, news updates and current affairs programs. A
"current affairs program" means a program focussing on social, economic
or political issues of current relevance to the
community.
News and Current
Affairs Programs
4.3 In broadcasting news and current affairs programs, licensees:
4.3.1 must present factual material accurately and represent
viewpoints fairly, having regard to the circumstances at the time of
preparing and broadcasting the program;
4.3.2 must not present material in a manner which creates public
panic;
4.3.3 should have appropriate regard to the feelings of relatives and
viewers when including images of dead or seriously wounded people.
Images of that kind which may seriously distress or seriously offend a
substantial number of viewers should be displayed only when there is an
identifiable public interest reason for doing so;
4.3.4 must provide the warnings required by Clauses 2.8 and 2.30 of
this Code when there is an identifiable public interest reason for
selecting and broadcasting visual and/or aural material which may
seriously distress or seriously offend a substantial number of
viewers;
4.3.5 must not use material relating to a person's personal or
private affairs, or which invades an individual's privacy, other than
where there is an identifiable public interest reason for the material
to be broadcast;
4.3.6 must exercise sensitivity in broadcasting images of or
interviews with bereaved relatives and survivors or witnesses of
traumatic incidents;
4.3.7 should avoid unfairly identifying a single person or business
when commenting on the behaviour of a group of persons or
businesses;
4.3.8 must take all reasonable steps to ensure that murder and
accident victims are not identified directly or, where practicable,
indirectly before their immediate families are notified by the
authorities;
4.3.9 should broadcast reports of suicide or attempted suicide only
where there is an identifiable public interest reason to do so, and
should exclude any detailed description of the method used. The report
must be straightforward, and must not include graphic details or images,
or glamourise suicide in any way;
4.3.10 must not portray any person or group of persons in a negative
light by placing gratuitous emphasis on age, colour, gender, national or
ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, race, religion or sexual
preference. Nevertheless, where it is in the public interest, licensees
may report events and broadcast comments in which such matters are
raised;
4.3.11 must make reasonable efforts to correct significant errors of
fact at the earliest opportunity.
4.4 In broadcasting news programs (including news flashes) licensees:
4.4.1 must present news fairly and impartially;
4.4.2 must clearly distinguish the reporting of factual material from
commentary and analysis.
4.5 In broadcasting a promotion for a news or current
affairs program, a licensee must present factual material accurately and
represent featured viewpoints fairly, having regard to the circumstances
at the time of preparing and broadcasting the program promotion, and its
brevity. A licensee is not required by this clause to portray all aspects
or themes of a program or program segment in a program promotion, or to
represent all viewpoints contained in the program or program segment.
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