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WIN refusing to broadcast correction after misleading vaccination story

WIN News airs factually incorrect material but the media watchdog is unable to force an on-air correction.

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2013-06-08_2053WIN Television has been found to have breached two provisions of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice after misleading its audience in a news story on measles vaccination.

But the broadcaster is refusing to broadcast a correction.

On 16 August 2012 WIN News Illawarra broadcast a report about an outbreak of measles in south-western Sydney.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has taken issue with the inclusion of an unqualified statement by a non-expert: “All vaccinations, in the medical literature, have been linked with the possibility of causing autism…”

ACMA found that by broadcasting that statement and by conveying a higher level of controversy and uncertainty about immunisation than was justified by the facts, WIN TV had failed to broadcast factual material accurately.

“The story would have misled an ordinary viewer about the level of risk of vaccinating children,” said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman.

But WIN has declined to correct the error on air, instead offering  to link on its website to ACMA’s finding.

This raises serious questions about the power of ACMA to compel a broadcaster to air a correction.

“While the ACMA has no power to direct the making of an on-air corrective statement, given the circumstances of this case and the important public health issues involved, the ACMA recommended to WIN TV that it make an on-air statement concerning the ACMA’s findings,” Chapman said.

10 Responses

  1. They interviewed the head of Australia’s anti-vaccination lobby, didn’t point out that the person they were interviewing is totally opposed to all vaccinations and then allowed that person to make scientifically inaccurate statements. They presented opinion as fact and that isn’t okay in a news story about public health. Can’t believe it took ACMA a year to investigate, though. Hopeless.

  2. Correct what?

    Firstly the statement is true. There are lots of papers in the medical literature that link autism to vaccinations. Also to 100s of other possible causes. Most of them are wrong, as is much of the medical literature.

    Secondly all WIN did was broadcast the opinion of an interviewee as their opinion.

    (My non-expert opinion which is as valid as anybody elses opinion and perfectly fine to broadcast).

    The AMCA can’t go around determining what opinions people are entitled to hold or must or must not be broadcast because the legislation specifically stops them, for a very good reason. The Government has no business exercising such power.

  3. @muscledude_oz – In the 50s visiting nurses would vaccinate school students on a routine basis for the other diseases rampant at the time. Diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps,etc. As you say, no permission needed as it was compulsory. There were no objections from “I know better” parents. There were also compulsory X-rays in visiting vans which eradicated TB from Australia.
    We also had a polio-crippled girl at school.
    ACMA serves no useful purpose, is a complete wast of money, and needs to be replaced – at the same time get rid of this ridiculous “self-regulation” idea that someone dreamed up.
    Whatever happened to FACTS as it was in the 70s? Swift decisions and effective penalties. Clone America’s FCC or UKs OFCOM.

  4. A year later and ACMA can’t force an on-air correction, they can only make recommendations.

    ACMA needs more power, especially with such a push-button topic like vaccination, where accurate information from qualified people is essential, not this fear mongering rubbish.

  5. @Jason: I remember when the Sabin anti-polio vaccine was introduced to Australia in 1967. I was in Year 1, a note and pamphlet went out to parents saying the kids would be vaccinated and giving the dates. No exceptions, no “conscientious objectors”, no lobbyists. We went to the school hall three times that year to get our dose. A drop of the oral vaccine was in a series of small plastic spoons laid out on a long desk. We had to pick up one of the spoons, put it in our mouth then throw the spoon into the bin at the end. It was yummy – strawberry flavoured.

    In every class there were usually one or two kids with polio. I remember one girl who had to have an operation to get one of her legs shortened so she could walk properly.

  6. August 2012 – sounds so ACMA-time, but WIN should still make a correction.
    @Mr.J – in Australia children have died of preventable causes because their parents listened to this rubbish from Jenny McCarthy – not only in America.
    “WIN TV had failed to broadcast factual material accurately.”. What’s new?
    My uncle died from Polio at aged 3, in1930, long before the Sabin vaccine was introduced. Something my children and grandchildren will never have to fear.

  7. ACMA has no power; that’s the way it has been designed. The best it can do is spend a lot of time examining an issue, coming to a conclusion and … oh look, a butterfly.

  8. This is serious, in America children have died of preventable causes because their parents listened to this rubbish from Jenny McCarthy. Something needs to be done about ACMA immediately.

  9. There has been a serious of “mistakes” happening out of the WIN TV head office news bunker over the past couple of years… And quite embarrassing ones. Maybe they need to look at the internal structure of how that particular newsroom works. If the problem there can’t be fixed by retraining, the best option would be replacement. It’s not a good look WIN.

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