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BAI announces effective date for application of broadcasting guidelines for election and referendum coverage

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BAI announces effective date for application of broadcasting guidelines for election and referendum coverage

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has today (10.04.19) announced the effective date for the application of its guidelines in relation to coverage of the forthcoming European and local government elections, and the referendum to amend the Constitution in regard to the dissolution of marriage. Both sets of guidelines will come into effect on Wednesday, 24th April 2019 and will remain in effect until 10pm on Friday, 24th May 2019, the day of the elections and the referendum.

The guidelines cover a range of issues, including the various ways in which fairness, objectivity and impartiality may be achieved; how conflicts of interest may be avoided; the coverage of opinion polls; advertising and party-political broadcasts; the achievement of diversity in coverage and the handling of complaints.

The guidelines also set out the requirements for broadcasters when using social media during an election or referendum campaign period and remind them of the rule in this regard contained in the BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs.  This requires broadcasters to have in place guidelines for the use of social media in coverage of news and current affairs. The guidelines also highlight the requirement for additional care when using social media during coverage of a referendum or election campaigns.

As on previous occasions, a moratorium on broadcast coverage will come into effect at 2pm on the day prior to polling and will end following the closure of polling stations on Friday, 24th May 2019. The moratorium will also apply to coverage of the plebiscites on directly elected mayors for Cork, Limerick and Waterford, to be held on the same day.

Commenting on the guidelines, Chief Executive of the BAI, Michael O’Keeffe said: “Broadcasters will play a key role in informing the public about the forthcoming elections and the referendum. The guidelines aim to assist broadcasters in meeting their statutory obligation to achieve fairness, objectivity and impartiality in their coverage of the elections and the referendum campaign.  They are also designed to ensure that the listeners and viewers will have had fair coverage of all the issues when deciding on how to vote.

“The guidelines remind broadcasters that fairness, objectivity and impartiality can be achieved by a variety of means, for example, through the selection of contributors, the airtime afforded, the scope of the debate, the structure of the programme, the presenter’s handling of the topic, the composition of any audience or through other suitable means.

“The guidelines for previous election and referendum campaigns have proved helpful to broadcasters and there has been a high degree of compliance. We are confident that these guidelines will help to ensure fair, objective and impartial coverage of the European and local government elections and the referendum on 24th May.”

ENDS

Contact: Tony Heffernan / Sebastian Enke, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4200580 / 087-2399508 / 087-3239496

Note to Editors

  • The guidelines in Respect of Coverage of Election in English are available for download here.
  • The guidelines in Respect of Coverage of Election in Irish are available for download here.
  • The guidelines in Respect of Coverage of Referenda in English are available for download here.
  • The guidelines in Respect of Coverage of Referenda in Irish are available for download here.
  • The BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality is available to download here.
  • The BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in Irish is available to download here.
  • The Guidance Notes on the BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality are available to download here.
  • The Guidance Notes on the BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in Irish are available to download here.
  • As the three plebiscites on directly elected mayors are local events, they fall outside the scope of the election and referendum guidelines, except for the application of the moratorium. However, the BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs will apply to coverage of the plebiscites.
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