All Together Now is pleased with Australian and Communication Media Authority’s (ACMA) decision announced today that the “All-Asian Mall” story aired on a A Current Affair breached the Commercial TV Industry Code of Practice.
In November 2012 All Together Now sought an explanation by Channel 9 as to how the segment was allowed to air. All Together Now believed that the story did not portray Asian people in a respectful and unbiased way and that it contravened the Code.
After an unsatisfactory response from Channel 9, All Together Now contacted ACMA to investigate further. ACMA this morning sent us a 45-page investigation report. It found that:
Channel Nine’s A Current Affair has breached three clauses of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice in a broadcast which:
- contained inaccurate factual material (clause 4.3.1)
- placed a gratuitous emphasis on ethnic origin (clause 4.3.10)
- was likely to provoke intense dislike and serious contempt on the grounds of ethnic origin (clause 1.9.6).
ACMA recommended that Channel Nine make a public statement acknowledging the findings and that it remove the segment from Channel Nine’s website.All Together Now is pleased that Channel Nine has agreed to both of these remedies, with the public statement expected to be aired during A Current Affair tonight.
This will be the first time a commercial tabloid current affairs program has agreed to issue such an on-air statement.
Media coverage:
- Sydney Morning Herald: A Current Affair breached code with ‘All-Asian Mall’ story
- Mumbrella: ACMA finds A Current Affair in breach of ‘All-Asian Mall’ story
- Pedestrian TV: A Current Affair to make on-air apology for factually inaccurate ‘All-Asian Mall’ story
- ABC: A Current Affair to make on air statement over ‘All-Asian Mall’ story
- SBS: A Current Affair breached code with ‘All-Asian Mall’ story
- Channel 9: ACA apologies for ‘All-Asian Mall’ report
- The Guardian: ‘All-Asian Mall’ story breached three media codes
- Crikey: ACMA slaps down ACA over racist ‘Asian mall’ story
Shame it aired at all. That alone does unwarranted damage.
A current affair has so much bull….. On their show, they are so desperate for a story that they pester people and use people for a pathetic story, sometimes even waste people’s time and never air the interview. I stopped watching the show years ago