Complaint
This bulletin included an item about the trial of a British soldier in connection with events on Bloody Sunday. In a brief summary of those events it said British soldiers had “opened fire on a civil rights march”. A viewer complained this was inaccurate because the march had been halted before any shots were fired. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
Although the march had become chaotic by the time shots were fired, this was clear from the footage of the event shown over the words complained of. In the ECU’s judgement this obviated any possibility of viewers being misled.
Not upheld