S.L. 350.14 Art. 1212 [

Current Affairs 12.1 Broadcasters should aim to present current affairs programmes: i. in a way which allows informed public debate on substantial issues affecting the community; ii. to provide reasonable opportunities to present significant viewpoints when dealing with controversial issues of public importance; iii. of immediate relevance to the community, including interviews and commentary dealing in depth with news items. [

As such, a series of current affairs programmes should be balanced with a diversity of topics, including topics of a social, cultural, educational, environmental, economic, industrial and political nature, as well as other subjects of general interest. Where the topics selected address issues of political or industrial controversy or of current public policy, the broadcaster is to ensure that, at least over a series of programmes, the selected topics adequately reflect the current debate affecting the whole political spectrum in the country.

12.2 The Broadcasting Act requirements about impartiality allow a series of programmes to be considered as a whole provided that when a single current affairs programme is not per se balanced, the legal requirement of impartiality may be discharged: (i) over two or more related programmes within the same series; (ii) where the broadcasts are transmitted within a reasonable period from each other; and (iii) when the broadcaster informs the viewers or listeners during the first programme of the date of the subsequent programme wherein he/she intends to balance the first programme giving sufficient information as to date of programme, subject of the programme and proposed participants. For this purpose, a “series” means a number of current affairs programmes, broadcast in the same service, each one of which is clearly linked to the others, and which deals with the same or related issues. 12.3 The provisions of these Requirements which regulate News Bulletins shall apply also to current affairs programmes apart from section 7.

12.4 Apart from the matters specified in section 4.3 above, impartiality does not mean that balance is required in any simple mathematical sense or that equal time must be given to each divergent point of view. Journalists and producers do not have to be absolutely neutral on every controversial issue. They should nevertheless tackle evenhandedly with divergent points of view to supplement or create a democratic debate amongst contrasting ideas. 12.5 The choice of participants in research-led investigative journalism or a studio discussion will be determined by the need to be fair, balanced and knowledgeable on the subject matter. However, in a studio discussion participants are normally chosen with a view to reflect divergent viewpoints. Where the subject matter refers to an issue of political or industrial controversy or addresses public policy, this Requirement implies that participation in the programme should reflect a balanced and adequate representation of all the interested parties, political or otherwise. It also implies that the use of audiovisual material, including clips and features, in such programmes should reflect in a balanced manner the views of all the parties concerned. Where the programme involves the active participation of an audience, the audience selection process should, to the extent possible, ensure that the audience is composed of persons with different views. S.L.350.14 CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES

SECTION 13 Interviews