Nine has been commended by the media watchdog for becoming the first commercial network to broadcast a correction on its advice.
Nine has taken on board the Australian Communication and Media Authority’s (ACMA) recommendation of an on-air correction for A Current Affairs code-breaking ‘All-Asian Mall’ report.
The ACA story broke three clauses of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Broadcast for being incorrect, placing “gratuitous emphasis on ethnic origin” and was found to be likely to “provoke intense dislike and serious contempt on the grounds of ethnic origin”.
ACMA, which also asked Nine to remove the story from ACA’s website, does not have the power to force a network to make an on-air correction.
ACMA’s chairman, Chris Chapman, commended Nine for acting on the recommendations.
“The broadcaster is to be congratulated for taking a mature approach to matters of such concern, and for being transparent with its viewers.”
The apology will be made by ACA on-air tonight, September 13.
A joint Parliamentary select committee recently advised prior to the election that the ACMA be given the power to force broadcasters to air on-air corrections. With the change of government a question mark now hangs over whether the inquiry’s recommendations will be implemented.
The offending ‘All-Asian Mall’ segment was broadcast on ACA on November 7 2012, and purported to address plans to change Sydney shopping centre, Castle Mall.
The story said Aussie shopkeepers were being kicked out to make way for businesses that “directly target the suburb’s Asian population.
The reporter said locals were concerned it was “only a matter of time before the entire suburb becomes an Asian enclave”. Interviewees included Pauline Hanson.
