BSA decision on David Seymour interview regarding End of Life Choice Bill emphasises broadcasting standards concept of ‘balance over time’
The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has not upheld a complaint that a Morning Report interview with ACT Party Leader David Seymour about his End of Life Choice Bill was unbalanced.
The interview aired 12 hours before the Bill was due to have its third (and final) reading in Parliament on 13 November 2019.
The complaint was that Mr Seymour was given ‘free licence’ to give his views as the sponsor and a strong advocate of the Bill, and it was vital that an opposing viewpoint was presented within the interview and not just in other broadcasts, in case RNZ listeners didn’t hear them.
In its decision, the BSA emphasised that the balance standard, which takes its wording from the Broadcasting Act 1989, clearly allows broadcasters to balance discussions of controversial issues over time, “in other programmes within the period of current interest”.
In other words the standard does not require broadcasters to present every perspective on an issue in every programme.
“Placing such a requirement on broadcasters would unreasonably limit their exercise of freedom of expression and editorial control, and in particular their freedom to present programmes or interviews from a particular perspective,” the BSA said.
In this case it highlighted that issues surrounding the euthanasia debate and the End of Life Choice Bill in particular had been ongoing, meaning RNZ provided sufficient balance over time. The fact the interviewer and David Seymour acknowledged there were other perspectives was enough to provide balance within the programme, taking into account the nature of the issue.
“It was reasonable to expect that, by the time of this broadcast, the audience would be broadly aware of the main viewpoints for and against the Bill, due to extensive coverage by both RNZ and other media outlets. …Audiences would not have been left uninformed or unable to take action to express their own views prior to the final reading of the Bill as a result of this one item.”
ENDS
For more information contact Raina Ng on 021 623 794.
FURTHER INFORMATION
This item was broadcast on 13 November 2019 on RNZ National. The full decision is available at https://www.bsa.govt.nz/decisions/. The decision was made under the Radio Code of Broadcasting Practice (2016) which is available to view on our website: https://bsa.govt.nz/broadcasting-standards/broadcasting-code-book/.
ABOUT THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY
The BSA is an independent Crown entity that oversees the broadcasting standards regime in New Zealand. The BSA determines complaints that broadcasts have breached standards, undertakes research and oversees the development of broadcasting standards in consultation with broadcasters.
The Authority members are Judge Bill Hastings (Chair), Paula Rose QSO and Susie Staley MNZM. The Chief Executive is Belinda Moffat.
For more information see our website: www.bsa.govt.nz