PM, Radio 4, 30 November 2021

Complaint

A listener complained of excessive attention to trans issues, saying that a speaker in the previous day鈥檚 edition of the programme had 鈥渜uoted audience response figures in order to give the impression that a majority of respondents asked for more coverage of transgender issues鈥 鈥 an impression he thought unlikely to be accurate or impartial.聽 The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 standards of accuracy and impartiality.


Outcome

In fact the previous day鈥檚 edition had included no citation of audience response figures in support of the impression that a majority had requested more coverage of trans issues.聽 The only reference to the topic was by the presenter, who said:

Now just a quick thank you to the many of you who wrote in yesterday after the lengthy discussion on the programme on gender identity. It was a conversation between feminist philosopher Kathleen Stock and trans woman and broadcaster India Willoughby. The social media reaction and some of our inbox reflects the very polarised view on this with a good degree of anger and sometimes rudeness, but we were pleased that many of you did appreciate the discussion and found it enlightening. You can listen back to it on 大象传媒 Sounds.

It appeared likely to the ECU that these comments had been misconstrued by the complainant and that, correctly understood, they provided no basis for a finding of inaccuracy or lack of impartiality.聽
Not Upheld