Assange story: Media watchdog dismisses complaint against Four Corners

Feb. 14, 2014, 7:21 p.m.

Australia's broadcast media watchdog has dismissed complains that an ABC Four Corners report about WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange was inaccurate and biased.

Australia's broadcast media watchdog has dismissed complains that an ABC Four Corners report about WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange was inaccurate and biased.

A lengthy investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority has found that the Four Corners program Sex, Lies, and Julian Assange, broadcast in July 2012, did not breach the ABC's Code of Practice.

The ABC report by veteran investigative journalist Andrew Fowler examined allegations of sexual assault and rape made by two Swedish women against Mr Assange in August 2010 and subsequent criminal investigations and extradition proceedings by Swedish prosecutors.

The program also discussed the possibility that Mr Assange could be extradited to the US to face charges related to the leaking of thousands of classified US diplomatic and military documents by US Army private Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning.

Two complainants asserted that Four Corners presented inaccurate information, omitted relevant information and was biased in favour of Mr Assange.

One of the complainants claimed that the entire report was skewed very heavily towards presenting only Julian Assange's perspective while ignoring the legitimacy of the Swedish case or the perspective of the two Swedish women who made the allegations.

The ABC submitted that the program included a broad range of principal relevant perspectives, none of which were unduly favoured over any other. It is important to understand that impartiality does not require that every perspective requires equal time, nor that every facet of every argument is presented. After a 17-month investigation, the ACMA concluded that Four Corners presented factual material and opinions accurately.

ACMA observed that the ABC was entitled to present and explore Mr Assange's perspective, as long as the material has been presented accurately, doesn't convey a prejudgment and does not unduly favour one perspective over another.

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Assange story: Media watchdog dismisses complaint against Four Corners