Watchdog: broadcasters don’t need to watch clock on Eighth

BROADCASTERS will not have to maintain absolute mathematical equality in terms of airtime for opposing sides in coverage of referendums as long as it is ‘equitable to all interests’.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) yesterday published its updated guidelines for broadcasters for coverage of referendums, and it will be applicable to the imminent abortion referendum. Voters are expected to go to the polls on May 25.

The revised guidelines, which were published yesterday morning, have a ‘strong emphasis on how fairness, objectivity and impartiality can be achieved, and how this is broader than a consideration of airtime for campaign groups’, according to Michael O’Keeffe, chief executive of the BAI.

Mr O’Keeffe said: ‘The BAI is keen to emphasise that this does not include a requirement for artificial balance. The guidelines also emphasise that audiences may be better served by an approach to coverage that is not purely adversarial and which places an emphasis on the issues of a referendum.’

The BAI document states that ‘broadcasters play an important role in the manner in which information about referendums is communicated to, and discussed by, the Irish public’.

‘Fairness, objectivity and impartiality can be achieved by a variety of means, for example, through the selection of contributors, the airtime afforded, the scope of the debate, the structure of the programme, the presenter’s handling of the topic, the make-up of audiences or through other suitable means,’ read the guidelines.

These guidelines, which are likely to implemented by mid-April, will be applicable for future referendums and not just the abortion referendum in May.

Responsibility to uphold these guidelines lies with the broadcasters and the BAI will address issues on a complaint basis, rather than by monitoring the media coverage.