BSA Finds News Item On Controversial Pub Wall-hanging Did Not Breach Standards

The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has not upheld a complaint about an item on 1 News that discussed a controversial wall-hanging in a Puhoi Pub bearing the n-word, and included footage of the wall-hanging itself.

The complaint alleged the broadcast breached the Good Taste and Decency standard. In its decision not to uphold the complaint, the Authority noted the item censored verbal reference to the term by the pub’s owner and was preceded by a verbal warning that some viewers may find details in the story distressing.

The Authority also noted the item’s footage of the wall-hanging was part of its critical examination of the issue. The offensive term was not depicted outside that context, and the broadcast carried significant public interest in creating an active public discourse.

“The footage, which depicted the visual impression provided by the wall hanging and the prominence of the word, was not gratuitous but ensured viewers understood both the nature and gravity of the issue and what term was in question,” the BSA said in its decision.

“It also helped the broadcaster tell the story of the customer, whose upsetting experience of the wall-hanging facilitated an informed public discourse on the issue.”

Having regard to the relevant context and value of the item, the Authority found the broadcast was unlikely to cause widespread undue offence or distress or undermine widely shared community standards.

© Scoop Media