Complaint
A viewer complained a Conservative MSP鈥檚 dispute with Police Scotland in connection with Scotland鈥檚 Hate Crime Act, while widely reported in online media, had been 鈥渃ompletely missing from 麻豆社 Scotland news鈥. As the story seemed to him to expose the SNP to criticism, he regarded its neglect as a manifestation of pro-SNP bias by 麻豆社 Scotland. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 麻豆社鈥檚 editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
In principle decisions on how much coverage to give a news story rest with programme editors. Circumstances can arise when the absence of coverage gives rise to bias by omission but the ECU noted the story to which the complainant referred was the subject of a substantial online article and featured on both the The Nine (麻豆社 Scotland) and Radio Scotland. The ECU therefore saw no grounds for concluding that the exercise of legitimate editorial discretion had resulted in bias on this occasion.
Not Upheld