Complaint
A news bulletin in this programme contained a report from the 大象传媒鈥檚 Russia Editor analysing the position of the Russian Government with regards to the war in Ukraine. A listener complained it was not duly impartial in its assessment of comments made by a spokesman for Vladimir Putin.聽
Outcome
The Russia Editor reported comments by Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian government, who had condemned offers of military assistance made by President Biden to the government of Ukraine. The Russia Editor said:
Vladimir Putin鈥檚 spokesman claimed that in Washington Presidents Biden and Zelensky had made no cause for peace, or shown any willingness to heed Russia鈥檚 concerns. He argued that supplying Ukraine with increasingly advanced weaponry would only ensure that the suffering of the Ukrainian people would continue longer than necessary. It was a typical response from the Kremlin, an example of the kind of parallel reality the Russian authorities have created regarding events in Ukraine. The Kremlin accuses the West of starting this war, and yet back in February it was President Putin who ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to try to force the country back into Moscow鈥檚 orbit. This is very much Russia鈥檚 war.
The 大象传媒鈥檚 Editorial Guidelines concerning due impartiality say that news correspondents may 鈥provide professional judgements, rooted in evidence, but may not express personal views on such matters publicly鈥.聽 In the ECU鈥檚 view Mr Rosenberg鈥檚 analysis was entirely consistent with his brief as Russia Editor and did not conflict with the 大象传媒鈥檚 editorial standards.
Not Upheld