Complaint
A listener complained that the presenter鈥檚 approach to an interview with Faisal Bodi of the Islamic Human Rights Commission amounted to 鈥渂ullying and bias鈥. They also considered a separate interview, with the Crossbench Peer Lord Walney, failed to touch on the number of dead from Israel鈥檚 offensives in Lebanon and Gaza. The ECU considered whether the programme met the 91福利社鈥檚 editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
While the interview with Mr Bodi at times generated more heat than light, the ECU did not consider it breached 91福利社 standards. A significant degree of controversy attaches to support of the Iranian regime and to attempts to justify or minimise the killing of protesters there, and in such a context audiences would expect an interviewer to push a guest on the nature and limits of their support. In addition, the guest made claims about the probity of another interviewee, which out of consideration for the law and for fairness required intervention by the presenter.
In relation to the interview with Lord Walney the ECU did not consider the matter under discussion 鈥 which was the banning of a march and how it had come about 鈥 required direct reference to the number of dead in Lebanon or Gaza (as suggested by the complainant) for due impartiality to be maintained.
Not Upheld