Media Watch “delighted” ACMA upholds story
Media watchdog clears Media Watch after a complaint involving The Australian's finances.
- Published by David Knox
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Media Watch host Paul Barry has defended the ABC show after it was cleared by the Australian Communications and Media Authority following a complaint over its story on The Australian’s finances.
In September ACMA found no breach the ABC Code of Practice for a story citing News “insiders” who claimed national broadsheet The Australian loses $40m-$50m a year.
The newspaper subsequently clarified it had lost $30m in 2012-13 and $15m in 2013-14.
ACMA found no breach of accuracy, largely due to its publishing a correction.
“I’m delighted”, Paul Barry told Mumbrella yesterday. “We obviously abide by the umpire’s decision, always, and we are very pleased to see they have cleared us on two complaints.”
News Corp claimed a video interview with The Australian’s editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell used selective editing and also failed “to seek comment from the newspaper before broadcasting inaccurate claims about its finances.”
Barry stands by using “insiders”and said the final figure was close to the numbers in the story.
“We talked to three people who we believed knew what the financial position was, we checked that against what had been published and we got pretty close to the mark.”
Chris Mitchell said Media Watch mis-edited an interview “in a deliberately corrupt way.”
“The simple point is Paul Barry would not correct a clear error, as any newspaper, and especially The Australian, would every day of the week. Barry is a cuts journo biographer and has a clear agenda against News Corp.”
Barry said ABC did correct the figure.
“As soon as they gave us the figures we did publish the figures and as soon as they told us the figures were wrong we published their statement.”
Source: Mumbrella.
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7 Responses
“The simple point is Paul Barry would not correct a clear error, as any newspaper, and especially The Australian, would every day of the week…”
I think the last bit of his quote got dropped. It originally said “…every day of the week with a ‘z’ in it.”
Seriously, News Corp rags, on the occasions when they are forced to print a retraction, do so begrudgingly, weeks or months after the fact, and buried in the bottom corner of page 24.
“News Corp claimed a video interview with The Australian’s editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell used selective editing …”
You mean like the way your newspapers refuse to print any letters criticising Tony Abbott?
Pot. Kettle. Black.
News Corp running to the arbitrator when someone writes something accurately nasty about them, but hides behind Uncle Rupert and his mates in Canberra when their lackies want to have their daily dig at the ABC
“The simple point is Paul Barry would not correct a clear error, as any newspaper, and especially The Australian, would every day of the week.”
Has The Australian corrected Sharri Markson’s false claims that The Bolt Report outrates Insiders?
The ABC published the correction their website.
Barry refused to do an on air correction to the viewers who were actually told the incorrect figure and went to some lengths to avoid acknowledging the mistake. That was what the complaint was about.
When the complaint is about Seven, Nine or Ten the ACMA has enforced on air corrections, even when the matter is subjective.
ABC isn’t perfect but Rupert still wants a monopoly for news and this is a micro-fight in the battle. Once he’s gone, the reality of News Corp will hit home.
“The simple point is Paul Barry would not correct a clear error, as any newspaper, and especially The Australian, would every day of the week…”
Hahahahahahahahaha…
Thanks for the laugh Chris.