ACMA finds 7 News breached privacy and distressing content rules – The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found Channel Seven Adelaide breached privacy and distressing content rules in a 7 News broadcast involving a child.
The ACMA investigation found the broadcast included details that may have enabled people to identify the child, and that the material was likely to have caused distress to viewers.
For Australian broadcasters, the finding is a clear reminder that blurring a face or withholding a name may not be enough when other details can still identify a vulnerable person, particularly in sensitive news coverage involving children.
ACMA Finding
The ACMA said Channel Seven Adelaide failed to exercise due care when broadcasting sensitive material. According to the regulator, the child was not named and their face was blurred, but the report included other information that could have made the child recognisable to people in the local area or school community.
The investigation also found there was insufficient public interest to justify the broadcast in the form that went to air.
ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said Channel Seven Adelaide should have taken greater care in deciding what to include in the report.
Privacy And Distressing Content
The ACMA said the broadcast showed the location of the incident and included footage that revealed details about the child, including physical characteristics and clothing. The regulator found those details could have contributed to the child being identified.
The ACMA also considered the likely distress caused to the child and their family, and noted that a parent had asked Seven to stop filming the incident.
The finding was made under broadcasting rules relating to privacy and the treatment of distressing material.
Enforcement Action
The ACMA said it is considering appropriate enforcement action and will publish the outcome once that process is finalised.
The full ACMA investigation report is available on the ACMA website.
For more ACMA stories, visit TV Central’s ACMA section. For more Channel 7 stories, visit TV Central’s Channel 7 section.