Complaint
A viewer complained that a guest鈥檚 reference to Jeremy Corbyn as 鈥渆ffectively a communist鈥 (which he regarded as biased and inaccurate on the grounds that Mr Corbyn鈥檚 policies were those of democratic socialism) had gone unchallenged.聽 The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
The guest鈥檚 reference was in the context of an explanation of his view that the then-Prime Minister鈥檚 campaign against what she termed an 鈥渁nti-growth coalition鈥 would not be a successful line of attack on Labour.聽 While his characterisation of Mr Corbyn鈥檚 political position was certainly disputable, the ECU did not believe it to be such as to mislead viewers materially when offered as a passing comment in support of the broader point that Conservative strategy had not yet been updated in the light of the change in Labour鈥檚 leadership.聽 In the ECU鈥檚 judgement, viewers would have been likely to understand that the guest had been expressing an opinion rather than stating established facts, and no challenge from the presenter was required by the 大象传媒鈥檚 standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Not Upheld