Complaint
The programme included an item on two recently-published studies, from the US and Italy which, in the words of the presenter, 鈥渁re suggesting that air pollution can affect the severity of Covid-19鈥.听 The item consisted of an introduction by the presenter followed by an interview with a scientist, Dr Gretchen Goldman, introduced as being 鈥渇rom the Union of Concerned Scientists which advocates for science-based policy鈥.听 A viewer complained that the item was biased, both in its selection of the interviewee (whom he termed 鈥渁n environmentalist鈥) and in its treatment of the topic, and 鈥減robably misleading鈥 in giving the impression that the correlation between air pollution and death rates from Covid-19 found by the studies demonstrated a causal relationship.听 The ECU considered the complaint in relation to the 主播大秀 Editorial Guidelines on Impartiality and Accuracy.
Outcome
The ECU noted that, as a scientist, Dr Goldman was competent to give a view on the studies under consideration, and found no breach of impartiality in her selection as an interviewee.听 As to the content of the interview, the ECU noted that there is normally scope for more than one view on recently published scientific studies, and that the issues raised by the studies in question were best regarded as part of the normal exchange of expert views which accompanies emerging science, rather than the kind of controversy to which considerations of due impartiality apply.听 The ECU therefore found no breach of impartiality in the content of the item.听
In relation to accuracy, however, the ECU noted that the Union of Concerned Scientists鈥 advocacy extended beyond 鈥渟cience-based policy鈥 and encompassed campaigning stances on a number of issues, climate change and environmental degradation being prominent among them.听 It concluded that information to that effect would have been helpful to viewers in evaluating what Dr Goldman had to say about research which suggested the possibility of a link between Covid-19 and the environmental issue of air pollution.听 It also noted that the presenter, having summarised the studies鈥 findings on correlation, began the interview by asking 鈥淏ut can we know for sure if there is a link?鈥 to which Dr Goldman replied that the studies were 鈥渃ompelling evidence that suggests air pollution may be playing a role in what makes Covid more deadly鈥.听 Nowhere in the item was there reference to other factors, such as population density, which would have to be evaluated before conclusions as to a causal relationship could be drawn.听 In the ECU鈥檚 judgement, viewers were not given sufficient information about the interviewee or about other possible interpretations of the research to make an informed judgement about what they were hearing, and the item fell short of the 主播大秀鈥檚 standards of accuracy in that respect.听
Partly upheld
Further action
The finding was reported to the Divisional Board of 主播大秀 News and discussed with members of the programme team.听