Complaint
In an interview about lockdown in Scotland the 大象传媒鈥檚 Scotland Editor, Sarah Smith, said:
It鈥檚 been obvious that Nicola Sturgeon has enjoyed the opportunity to make her own different lockdown rules and not have to follow what鈥檚 being done in England and other听听听 parts of the UK.
13听viewers complained to the ECU that the use of the phrase 鈥渆njoyed the opportunity鈥 represented an inappropriate expression of opinion, indicative of bias against the First Minister of Scotland.听 The ECU considered the complaints in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 guidelines on Impartiality, which say:
Our audiences should not be able to tell from 大象传媒 output the personal opinions of our journalists or news and current affairs presenters on matters of public policy, political or industrial controversy, or on 鈥榗ontroversial subjects鈥 in any other area.听
听
Outcome
The ECU agreed that viewer of the 10pm bulletin might well have formed the impression that Ms Smith was expressing an opinion about Ms Sturgeon鈥檚 motives, and that giving such an impression was out of keeping with the 大象传媒鈥檚 standards of due impartiality.听 However, it noted the following sequence of events.
Shortly after the broadcast the First Minister posted a tweet in which she objected to the wording concerned. 听She said:
Never in my entire political career have I 鈥榚njoyed鈥 anything less than this.
In a reply via her 大象传媒 Twitter account @大象传媒sarahsmith Ms Smith offered an explanation and an apology to the First Minister:听
I do not believe that @NicolaSturgeon is enjoying this crisis. I had meant to say on the 10 o鈥檆lock news that she has 鈥榚mbraced鈥 the opportunity to make a policy unique to Scotland. I said 鈥榚njoyed鈥 by mistake. Not suggesting she is enjoying crisis but embracing devolution.
In a further post the following day, she said:
On last night鈥檚 News at Ten I said @NicolaSturgeon had 鈥榚njoyed the opportunity to set her own lockdown rules鈥. I should have said she was 鈥榚mbracing鈥 the opportunity to set a separate policy for Scotland. I never meant to suggest she is enjoying this crisis. Of course she is not.
Then in a third tweet, she said:
For the avoidance of any doubt. I am sorry that by mistake I said on the news last night that @NicolaSturgeon was 鈥榚njoying the opportunity鈥 to set lockdown policy in Scotland. That was not what I meant to say and I apologise to her for my error.
A spokesperson for the 大象传媒 said in a statement to the press:
Following complaints received on remarks by Sarah Smith, Sarah has since clarified her remarks, acknowledged where there were errors and has apologised to the First Minister, who has accepted those clarifications and has indicated that she regards the matter as now closed.
The ECU also noted that, in a similar interview in the 6pm 大象传媒 One bulletin on 18 May, Ms Smith had said:
It鈥檚 been obvious how Nicola Sturgeon has embraced the opportunity to make her own different lockdown rules and not have to follow what鈥檚 being down in England the other UK nations.
The ECU regarded the word 鈥渆尘产谤补肠别诲鈥 as a term which described the First Minister鈥檚 approach without imputing motive, and viewed its use in this earlier bulletin as corroborating Ms Smith鈥檚 statement that she had simply misspoken in her later interview, rather than offering an opinion on the First Minister鈥檚 state of mind.听 The ECU agreed that it had been appropriate to issue apologies and that, although it would be more usual for apologies for an error on air to be broadcast rather than offered via Twitter, the fact that the First Minister had registered her objection in a tweet made a 大象传媒 Twitter account (supplemented as it was by a press statement) a more appropriate medium in this instance.听 The ECU therefore found that the action taken was sufficient to resolve the issue of editorial standards raised by the complaints.
Resolved