Coverage of BAFTA awards, 大象传媒 News Channel, 18 February 2024

Complaint

The coverage included an interview between the 大象传媒鈥檚 Entertainment Correspondent Colin Paterson and the BAFTA nominee Andrew Scott.聽 A viewer complained about the following exchange about another Irish actor, Barry Keoghan, recently noted for his leading role in the film Saltburn:

Colin Paterson: Do you know Barry well?

Andrew Scott: I know Barry yeah.

CP: OK. Your reaction when you first saw the naked dance scene at the end of Saltburn?

LM: No spoilers please.

AS: Ah Jeez, well listen I won鈥檛 spoil it for anybody. You know, it was great, it was great.

CP: You can spoil away.

AS: You know I won鈥檛 spoil it for anybody.

CP There is a lot of talk about prosthetics 鈥 how well do you know him?

AS: (Turns to walk away) 聽See you guys鈥

The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 Editorial Guidelines about potentially offensive content.


Outcome

The relevant Guidelines say the 大象传媒鈥檚 right to broadcast challenging content should be balanced against the requirement to avoid unjustified offence and that

大象传媒 output should 鈥渒eep in touch with generally accepted standards鈥.聽 The ECU agreed the final question on this occasion fell short of those requirements, but noted that Mr Paterson had apologised later in the programme and that the 大象传媒 subsequently issued a statement acknowledging the question was misjudged.聽 In the ECU鈥檚 view, this sufficed to resolve the issue of complaint.

Resolved