Ray Hadley has breached the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice by failing to check his facts on comments he read from a newspaper, about a hospitality program for school children visiting Parliament House.

The 2GB broadcast, aired on 25 June 2012, claimed that children visiting Canberra’s parliament house would no longer be offered fruit snacks and bottles of water due to budget cuts.

The story was based on a Daily Telegraph article by Steve Lewis, but, before 2GB broadcast the claim, the then Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan, released a media statement contradicting that newspaper article.

Although Hadley referred to Swan’s media statement in the course of the broadcast, he also described Wayne Swan as dishonest.

Later, the newspaper published a correction.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority found that 2GB did not use reasonable efforts to ensure that the factual material broadcast was reasonably supportable as accurate, a requirement of the code. In other words, Hadley did not check the facts.

The ACMA noted that reference to a current mainstream media source will in many situations be indicative of a broadcaster’s reasonable efforts to ensure that factual material is reasonably supportable as accurate. However, given Mr Swan’s media statement (being credible material casting doubt on the accuracy of the newspaper article), the ACMA found that more was required in this particular circumstance.

2GB submitted that any inaccuracy was corrected in later broadcasts where Hadley made clear that the hospitality program cuts would not go ahead. However, the ACMA determined that these later broadcasts were not corrections, as they did not clearly acknowledge that the original statement was incorrect.

The ACMA is in discussions with 2GB about remedial measures to make sure broadcasters are aware of the need for fact checking. The station has previously had a similar breach in the Alan Jones show.

Details:

On 27 September 2012 the ACMA received a complaint from the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, the Hon Wayne Swan MP regarding two segments of the Ray Hadley Morning Show broadcast on 25 and 26 June 2012 by the licensee of 2GB, Harbour Radio. The complainant alleged that:

• On 25 June 2012, Mr Hadley made false and misleading comments about a federal government proposal to make budget savings for 2012/2013;
• On 26 June 2012, Mr Hadley failed to correct the substantial error of fact of the preceding day; and
• On 26 June 2012, Mr Hadley made an additional misleading statement in relation to communications made between the station and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer.

The complainant was not satisfied with the response of the licensee and referred the matter to the ACMA. The complaint was investigated under Code 2.2 [accuracy] of Commercial Radio Codes.

The ACMA found that the licensee:

• did not make reasonable efforts to ensure that factual material was reasonably supportable as being accurate; and
• did not broadcast a correction which was adequate and appropriate in all the circumstances.

While broadcasters can give their opinions freely, it is generally considered that opinion, or fair comment, should tell the listeners all the known true facts as well as stating the broadcaster’s opinion. In this case some facts were not stated and others were dismissed as untrue. This is what Ray Hadley said:

By the way there’s a story on the front page of the Daily Telegraph today about school children having their bottled water and fruit snacks for school visits at Parliament House being cut.  Well according to the Deputy Prime Minister who’s written this to all media outlets, “the story by Steve Lewis in today’s Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Adelaide Advertiser and Courier Mail, claiming bottled water and fruit snacks for school students going to Parliament House  is completely wrong.  It’s entirely incorrect to say that a single dollar of an estimated 235 grand cost of the services  being cut from the House of Reps Hospitality Program.   This service has not been cut and to suggest otherwise is dishonest and grossly inaccurate.”  We’ll let Steve have his say a bit later if he’s available…

and later…

Now, I’ll be talking to the author of this article in the Daily Telegraph, the Courier Mail, the Advertiser in Adelaide, and the Herald Sun, Steve Lewis rather shortly, because, we got this correction from the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan’s office, where he said “the story by Steve Lewis in today’s Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Adelaide Advertiser and Courier Mail, claiming bottled water and fruit snacks for school students going to Parliament House for visits have been cut is completely wrong.  It’s entirely incorrect to say that a single dollar of the estimated $235 000 cost of the service has been cut from the House of Reps Hospitality Program.   The service has not been cut and to suggest otherwise is dishonest and grossly inaccurate.” 
I’ll give Steve Lewis the opportunity to correct that, because it appears Mr Swan has not read what he needs to read in relation to all of this.  Because Steve Lewis is quoting from a document quite clearly saying exactly what Steve Lewis reported today.  And that document comes from the office of the Clerk of the House.   And it says: “The Hospitality program for visiting school groups will be discontinued from 1 January 2013.  The hospitality program involves the provision of fruit straps and small bottles of water for visiting school children, and tea and coffee to accompanying adults where a request is made at the time of booking.”  Now as I say, and then they say “savings of $85 000 2012/13, and $235 000 in future years per annum”. 
In fact the national political correspondent of the News Limited organisation Steve Lewis is on the line, G’day Steve…