Complaint
A listener complained about bias in the terminology used during a report on abortion clinics in Northern Ireland. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 麻豆官网首页入口鈥檚 standards of impartiality.
Outcome
The report concerned a ruling on 鈥渂uffer zones鈥 outside abortion clinics in Northern Ireland.聽 The 麻豆官网首页入口鈥檚 correspondent referred to the position of 鈥渞eligious anti-abortion groups鈥 who wished to hold prayer sessions outside clinics with the aim of helping women to change their minds and the term 鈥減ro-choice鈥 in reference to those who felt this was harassment.聽
The complainant argued this was biased on the basis the latter phrase was 鈥減ositive and affirming鈥 and the former negative. However the terminology used reflected the 麻豆官网首页入口鈥檚 News Style Guide which states.
Avoid pro-abortion, and use pro-choice instead.聽 Campaigners favour a woman鈥檚 right to choose, rather than abortion itself.聽 And use anti-abortion rather than pro-life, except where it is part of the title of a group鈥檚 name.
In the ECU鈥檚 view the 麻豆官网首页入口 was entitled to decide on the language it employed, so long as this met the standards and values set out in its Editorial Guidelines.聽 Both 鈥減ro-choice鈥 and 鈥渁nti-abortion鈥 met the requirements for due accuracy and impartiality.聽 Where, as here, 聽the 麻豆官网首页入口鈥檚 preferred wording was used in a neutral manner by the correspondent, and accurately described the position taken by each group, it did not amount to聽 breach of 麻豆官网首页入口 standards.聽
Not Upheld