Complaint
A viewer complained a two minute promotional film for BBC News was intended to alter the public mood about the war in Ukraine, using hidden techniques in the way it was edited and through the use of music and sound. The ECU considered whether it met BBC standards on due accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
The film intercut sequences from BBC news coverage of the Ukraine war with excerpts from the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines. The complainant cited a range of concerns about the content including that a short extract of an interview with President Zelensky portrayed him in a bad light. However the ECU found no evidence to support these claims. It concluded the main intended message was that the BBC aimed to accurately reflect what was happening in Ukraine, even in very difficult circumstances, thereby enabling the public to form their own views on the conflict.
Not Upheld