Australian-Media.com.au News

• WIN breached Code of Practice

  July 21 2009 7:54pm (UTC+8)  -  Article by Kevin

  The ACMA has found that WIN Television Vic Pty Ltd breached the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2004 by failing to present factual material accurately.
  
  The ACMA's finding relates to a report broadcast on WIN licensee VTV during WIN News on 25 September 2008 about the acquittal of a man accused of sexually assaulting a young girl. The ACMA found that the report was factually inaccurate in stating that the County Court had "found the girl lied about the assaults".
  
  Consistent with Australian legal convention, the jury in the reported case did not give reasons for its verdict when it found the defendant "not guilty". The ACMA considered that it was inaccurate for WIN News to infer from the "not guilty" verdict that the young girl "had lied".
  
  In response to the breach finding, WIN Television has advised the ACMA that it has made immediate revisions to its reporting of news and in particular the use of specific words in scripts which have the potential to attract legislative and legal compliance issues if used. WIN Television will also include the findings of the ACMA's report as part of its regular training program for all of its news and current affairs staff.
  
  A copy of investigation report 2129 is available on the ACMA website.

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