ABC horse cruelty story ‘breached code’: Racing NSW
A complaint to the ABC says it ‘fell far short’ of its news standards and ‘failed on accuracy, impartiality’.
Racing NSW chairman Russell Balding has lashed out at the ABC over its recent story on the horse racing industry, accusing the public broadcaster of breaching a raft of its editorial guidelines.
Mr Balding, who was the ABC managing director from 2002 to 2006, has made a complaint to ABC boss David Anderson about its The Final Race program on its television current affairs program 7.30 on October 17, alleging "serious and numerous breaches of the ABC's statutory duties, editorial policies and code of practice".
He outlined his numerous concerns about the story, which aired two days before the Everest race in a 21-page letter to Mr Anderson. The letter was posted on Racing NSW’s website on Thursday.
The racing industry’s public rebuke came a day after author and journalist Tracey Spicer apologised after a preview version of an ABC documentary, which had been circulated to media outlets before public release, exposed the identities of rape victims, and their experiences.
Following a flood of complaints, the ABC late last week pulled a Q&A episode from all its platforms, and launched an investigation on whether it breached editorial standards by allowing panellists to apparent advocate violence, arson and extrajudicial killings.
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Racing NSW said on its website that the public broadcaster has "fallen far short of its statutory duty to ensure 'news and information is accurate and impartial according to the recognised standards' and its Editorial Policy requirements to 'uphold the fundamental journalistic principles of accuracy and impartiality'".
Racing NSW said it has been "depicted as being responsible for animal cruelty alleged to be occurring in some abattoirs and knackeries".
“In particular, the NSW racing industry is falsely and unfairly associated with such practices at Queensland’s Meramist Abattoir, in ways that state that the industry is complicit, knowledgeable, uncaring and/or indifferent,” the organisation said on its website.
In the letter, dated November 13, Mr Balding outlined 15 “serious issues” relating to ABC’s policies and code, particularly failures in relation to impartiality and diversity of perspectives, accuracy, fair and honest dealing.
Mr Balding said the ABC’s presentation of the interview with Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys is a “matter of great concern for its lack of fairness”.
Read Racing NSW’s complaint in full here
“Despite an apparent two-year investigation, an interview was conducted with the CEO of Racing NSW just one day prior to broadcast. The request for interview came just six days prior to broadcast. The request contained no information about the contentious nature of the content. Only during the interview did it become clear that serious allegations were being made about the industry and in relation to Racing NSW,” Mr Balding said in the letter.
The ABC story also failed to include information provided to them prior to the show’s airing, he said.
Mr Balding also said there were a “number of significant factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations”. He concluded his letter by demanding a “detailed investigation by the ABC and appropriate corrections and clarifications”.
“It also seeks a fair and reasonable presentation of perspectives relating to the thoroughbred racing industry across ABC platforms. Racing NSW also seeks a public statement from the ABC noting that there is no evidence to support the allegations that the NSW racehorse industry is structurally organised or complicit in animal cruelty in any way.”
An ABC spokesperson said Racing NSW's complaint has been referred to the audience and consumer affairs department and "will be dealt with according to our usual procedures". Typically, the department will “aim to respond within 30 days” of receiving a complaint, according to ABC’s website.
After the ABC responds, Racing NSW can lodge a complaint with the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
A day after the broadcast of the story, which attracted a lot of public and media attention, the ABC said “horse racing is a multi-million dollar industry and with more than 14,000 foals bred last financial year it’s in the public interest to know what happens to the horses off the track”.
The ABC said the story “revealed many racehorses end up at slaughterhouses”, and was broadcast “as soon as it was ready”.
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