One of the basic tenets of journalism is that you should always seek to interview more than one source for a story, both (or more) sources preferably having at least slightly divergent views and certainly not coming from the same organisation.
Perhaps figuring that no-one but public broadcasting advocates and credulous immigrants watch it, it’s pretty clear that SBS doesn’t play by that basic tenet, at least when it comes to spreading green propaganda, if last night’s World News at 6.30pm is any guide.
Leading with the scary thought that the drinking water of 11 million people could be affected by development – mining, farming, urban sprawl (in other words, just a few of those hateful parts of modern society that stop us from living in bush humpies) – SBS devoted nearly two-and-a-half minutes to a scare campaign by the Australian Conservation Foundation.
The reporter, Gareth Boreham, interviewed only two sources: the ACF’s CEO (though she was not named as such) Kate O’Shannasy and its Campaign Director, Dr Paul Sinclair. Boreham, apparently a journalist, did nothing but regurgitate their talking points; he offered no alternative views, no quotes from any other source, no hard questions or doubt, and ultimately no credibility.
If any of the file footage was shot by SBS, I’m a monkey’s uncle. Slow-motion drifting over the ranges, kangaroos and emus in soft focus – it seems much more likely to have been shot by the pACF itself and handed over with a wink and a nod to an unquestioning SBS.
What a joke. What a lend this public broadcaster is having of the few remaining genuine taxpayers in Australia.
(To view video,follow link and skip to 5:35.)
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/video/497322563675/SBS-World-News-03-August-630-part-2