BBC Scotland’s Politics Live programme has had its knuckles rapped by the in-house watchdog after failing to give the Scottish Government the chance to rebut claims made by Jackson Carlaw.
A viewer complaint to the corporation about the programme, has been "partly upheld" by the broadcaster’s Executive Complaints Unit.
The programme, aired in May, interviewed the chief executive of Scottish Care Donald Macaskill and the then leader of the Scottish Tories Jackson Carlaw about recently published guidelines on care homes.
Both men called for comprehensive testing of all staff and residents in care homes currently free of Covid 19. At the time, the Scottish Government's advice recommended only sample testing.
The Scottish Government wasn’t asked to defend it’s position.
In their ruling, the ECU said: “The programme as broadcast did give viewers a sense of why some caution might be advised on this question.
“But the official position was not set out in either interview in a way which might have offered a challenge to those being questioned.
“And whilst the overall benefits of comprehensive testing were not in dispute, the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman had laid out her Government’s ambition on this at some length on the programme the previous week when she spoke about the need to raise capacity.
“The ECU therefore agreed that an opportunity should have been found to reflect her position and to that extent upheld the complaint.”
The ECU's finding was "reported to the BBC Scotland’s Executive Team and discussed with the programme-makers concerned."
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