Complaint
A listener complained the use of the phrase “a social media post by the Green Party leader” gave the inaccurate impression Zack Polanski had created or authored the post, when in fact the image which appeared on his Instagram page originated from another account. The ECU considered whether this met the standards for due accuracy set out in the BBC Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
Whilst additional context about the collaborative nature of the post might have been helpful, the ECU did not consider audiences would have been misled by what was said. The report did not state Mr Polanski was responsible for originally posting the photographs in question and accurately reported they had been shared on his Instagram account. Mr Polanski subsequently accepted responsibility for the photo appearing on his page, explaining he had accepted a number of collaboration requests from an event and had not paid sufficient attention to the image in question before it appeared on his account.
Not Upheld