Complaint
This edition of the programme featured Ruben Vardanyan – then a minister in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh region. ÌýA viewer complained that the presenter, Stephen Sackur, failed to offer sufficient historical context during the interview, with misleading and biased results.Ìý The ECU considered whether the programme met ´óÏó´«Ã½ requirements for due impartiality and accuracy.
Outcome
This was a short interview with a man viewed as Moscow’s emissary. ÌýFor that reason the ECU agreed it was editorially justified to focus on him, his relations with Russia and what that meant for the region. ÌýDue accuracy and impartiality would require the programme to inform viewers about the matters under discussion – the blockade, Mr Vardanyan, Russia’s interest and the prospects for peace – rather than the complex history of the conflict or the Armenian genocide. ÌýIn the ECU’s view this broad background to the current situation was provided in the course of the interview.
Not Upheld