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ARTICLE · 29 JUNE 2005

Broadcasters must give a right to reply

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang
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Ofcom has upheld a complaint of unfair treatment from Novartis AG about a documentary, Dying for Drugs, broadcast by Channel 4 in April 2003.

United KingdomMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Tim Hardy
Tim Hardy

Ofcom has upheld a complaint of unfair treatment from Novartis AG about a documentary, Dying for Drugs, broadcast by Channel 4 in April 2003.

The Adjudication clearly demonstrates that where a programme includes damaging allegations against a company, the journalists have a "particular responsibility" to ensure that the company is given a proper opportunity to respond in the programme. Channel 4's arguments that it had "deliberately sought to avoid presenting a corporate line" and that the programme was "a documentary rather than a current affairs programme" were rejected. The programme's emotive subject matter did not absolve the programme-makers from their responsibility to include Novartis' response.

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