A complaint lodged to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) regarding RTE’s Prime Time show on 27th October 2020 claiming RTE “allows far-right, damaging ideology to feature in its programming” has been rejected by the BAI this month.
According the the BAI the complainant states amongst other things “that the concept of herd immunity has been described as scientifically and ethically problematic by the WHO and by the Chief Medical Officer.”
The complainant states that through the broadcast of unchallenged interviews, the broadcaster offers a platform for harmful ideology, which is linked to far-right ideas of white supremacy, racism and eugenics.
The complainant maintains that the process of providing balance in journalism should not include racism, hate-inducing ideology or anti-democratic rhetoric. In addition, the complainant believes that the inclusion of unsubstantiated or disputed claims causes harm to groups in society.
The BAI rejected the complaint saying;
“The Forum further considered the complainant’s contention that the far-right ideology put forward via The Great Barrington Declaration does not serve the public’s well-being and this has been seen as problematic by the World Health Organisation. The discussion regarding herd immunity went unchallenged by the presenter. The Forum noted that the ongoing pandemic is a matter which has serious implications for the health of the public and, as such, discussions regarding this matter should be treated with due care. However, the Forum had regard to the contributions from the various participants and noted that pros and cons of The Great Barrington Declaration were discussed.”
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.