Complaints over RTE coverage of Iraq war rejected

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission has rejected two applications objecting to RTÉ's coverage of the Iraq war.

In the first case, Mr Derek James complained about what he described as the broadcaster's "liberal anti-war agenda", in particular a Prime Timeprogramme aired on April 1st.

Mr James argued that RTÉ, as a publicly funded national broadcaster, has a responsibility to report news items impartially. He claimed that by using graphic items of footage showing dead Iraqi citizens and soldiers, RTÉ defied the laws of taste and decency, and in doing so, allowed the station to become "a conduit for Iraqi propaganda."

RTÉ rejected the claim, arguing that its "reporting, analysis and debate provided viewers and listeners with an, as objective as possible, account of what was happening in Iraq."

It said that to exclude images of death and injury from its coverage would have the effect of "sanitizing" the reality of war.

The Commission ruled that the station reported the war "in a fair and balanced manner" and did not breach the Broadcasting Act, 2001 laws on both impartiality and taste and decency. "The issues covered in the Prime Timeprogramme were of public interest and the reportage in question was within accepted standards," it said.

The second complaint referred to an interview with the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell on RTÉ Radio 1's This Weekprogramme on February 23rd.

The complainant, Mr Mick Finnegan, alleged RTÉ was guilty of allowing the Minister to launch a "politically motivated attack" on the head of the Irish Anti-War Movement, Mr Richard Boyd-Barrett.

Mr Finnegan said Mr Boyd-Barrett was not allowed the right of reply to allegations by Mr McDowell that he was "a supporter of a brutal foreign dictator". RTÉ therefore failed to provide "balanced" coverage of the debate over Ireland's role in the war. He pointed out the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, was granted airtime to respond to allegations about his views on the war by Irish Timescolumnist, Mr Kevin Myers.

RTÉ argued that both Mr McDowell and Mr Boyd-Barrett "are public figures involved in political life". It said the Minister's allegation that Mr Boyd-Barrett was Marxist and that the anti-war movement contained a minority element that was anti-American, were remarks that "fall well within all acceptable political rhetoric and do not require a right of reply".

It said the fact Mr Boyd-Barrett stood for election to Dáil Éireann in 2002 representing the Socialist Workers' Party implies the adjective "Marxist" was not unfair. RTÉ also insisted the anti-war movement was given ample opportunity in the station's coverage to state its position.

The Commission again ruled that RTÉ had not breached the impartiality clauses in the Broadcasting Act in this case. It said the rhetoric of the This Weekprogramme was "typical" of the type of debate in the political environment in which the two men worked.