Complaint
In an item about a recent increase in dog attacks, the programme backdrop included a picture of a Staffordshire 聽Bull Terrier. 聽A viewer complained this was misleading and unfair when the accompanying statistics did not relate to that breed alone. 聽The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 standards of accuracy.
Outcome
The ECU noted that those who compile statistics on dog attacks generally stress that there are underlying reasons why certain breeds may predominate. 聽It is well recognised that some breeds are prone to be used by their owners as status dogs, and that it is the dog鈥檚 training and treatment, rather than their innate temperament, that is responsible for their aggression. 聽That said, Staffordshire Bull Terriers featured prominently in at least one list of fatal dog attacks in the UK seen by the ECU. 聽The use of a picture of a dog of that breed as the backdrop to a report on dog attacks could not therefore be considered materially misleading such that it amounted to a breach of the 大象传媒鈥檚 Guidelines on Accuracy.
Not Upheld