Sunday Night breaches Code with “Murder at Sea” story

Seven has failed to have the Federal Court overturn another breach of the Code of Practice, after media watchdog ACMA ruled that a story on Sunday Night which reported that an Australian ship failed to come to the rescue of a sinking oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, was factually inaccurate.

It is the second time this week the Australian Communications and Media Authority announced that findings against Seven have been upheld.

The March 2012 story “Murder at Sea” on Sunday Night reported on the sinking of a mobile oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico during a hurricane in September 2011. It focused on the actions of an Australian ship which was in the area at the time, with Ross Coulthart alleging  “The shipping company has been accused in a US Court of an act of murder and cowardice at sea.”

But ACMA found that the segment breached code of practice requirements for factual accuracy regarding whether the shipping company had been accused of murder in a United States court. It was in fact, at the time of the broadcast, the subject of a Civil Action, which was not conveyed in context.

ACMA also found that the segment breached requirements to represent viewpoints fairly regarding whether the Captain of the Australian ship ought to have attempted a rescue of men stranded on the mobile platform.

In February 2013, Seven commenced Federal Court proceedings on ACMA’s findings. In June 2014 the court dismissed the application, ruling that the findings were not affected by legal error as alleged by Seven.

Earlier this week it was revealed Seven had failed to have another ACMA ruling on Today Tonight similarly overturned.

Seven has also recently appealed against other separate Code of Practice breaches by Seven News and Sunday Night.