OBJECTIVE journalism has come under the spotlight with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa’s (BCCSA) recent judgment against Carte Blanche.

Referring to August’s airing of the investigative magazine show’s insert on Sodwana Bay, the BCCSA said the insert ‘reveals a mindset in which the producer appears to want to vent only grievances in the programme’ and that ‘reasonable efforts were not made to fairly present opposing views’.

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority laid a complaint with the BCCSA after the show portrayed apparent mismanagement of the wetland park by the park authority.

The BCCSA found that Carte Blanche contravened several aspects of the broadcasting code and that the broadcast unjustifiably portrayed Terri Castis (iSimangaliso Commercial Director) and Andrew Zaloumis (iSimangaliso CEO) and the park authority as failing to properly manage the park, and that in doing so, businesses had closed down, tourism had waned and unemployment and crime had increased.

The full story will be published in the ZO next week.