Complaint
In an item on interest rates, the reporter described the current average rate for two-year fixed term mortgages as 鈥渟till incredibly high鈥.聽 A listener complained that the description was inappropriate, on the basis that 鈥淢ortgage rates have been above this level many times within the lives of your listening public鈥.聽 The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
While accepting that higher rates were experienced in the period before the 2008 financial crisis, the ECU noted that rates had risen steeply since the beginning of 2022, leading to sharply increased repayments for many, and that the reporter had said two-year mortgages had 鈥渞eached their highest rate for 15 years鈥.聽 Consequently the ECU saw no basis for concluding listeners would have been misled by the reporter鈥檚 description, or that it was other than duly accurate in the context.
Not upheld