Seven Sunrise supports homosexual marriage activism
I’m letting you know that today, on behalf of the ACC movement, (250,000 people), that we have signed the Joint Statement put together by the Australian Christian Lobby.
I would encourage you as a church leader to remain aware of the same-sex marriage issue and various aspects of the debate. This is why our churches need to support the ACL National Webcast on Defining Marriage being held on 26 June 2012. If you haven’t registered your church yet, find out more on www.marriagewebcast.acl.org.au
We the undersigned wish to record our great disappointment that Channel Seven should allow the Sunrise programme to enter the public debate on marriage as a partial protagonist with an activist organisation in GetUp!
We call on Channel Seven and the Sunrise staff to observe the ethical standards expected of their profession, and particularly their social responsibility long established by this description:
The power and near monopoly position of the media impose on them an obligation to be socially responsible, to see that all sides are fairly presented and that the public has enough information to decide; [Four Theories of the Press, (Siebert et al., 1956)]
These principles are reinforced in the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice which requires among other things, that news and current affairs programmes are presented accurately and fairly (Para 4.1.1) and that news is presented impartially (Para 4.1.4).
We believe that Channel Seven’s action contravenes these long established principles of media ethics on a matter of crucial importance to our society and that it has improperly intervened in a premeditated way at a pivotal point in this debate.
We reject the Sunrise Producer Michael Pell’s defence that same sex marriage is a human rights issue when the European Court of Human Rights has only recently confirmed it is not, saying in its judgement: ‘The European Convention on Human Rights does not require member states’ governments to grant same-sex couples access to marriage.’
We believe that Seven’s action precludes fair discussion of the important issues in this debate and the societal consequences of same sex marriage and the vulnerabilities it has been proven to create for freedom of conscience and religion.
We believe such partisan action by an element of the media also marginalises those who have an alternate view, particularly people of faith.
We call on the station to cancel this campaign action.
We the undersigned wish to record our great disappointment that Channel Seven should allow the Sunrise programme to enter the public debate on marriage as a partial protagonist with an activist organisation in GetUp!
We call on Channel Seven and the Sunrise staff to observe the ethical standards expected of their profession, and particularly their social responsibility long established by this description:
The power and near monopoly position of the media impose on them an obligation to be socially responsible, to see that all sides are fairly presented and that the public has enough information to decide; [Four Theories of the Press, (Siebert et al., 1956)]
These principles are reinforced in the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice which requires among other things, that news and current affairs programmes are presented accurately and fairly (Para 4.1.1) and that news is presented impartially (Para 4.1.4).
We believe that Channel Seven’s action contravenes these long established principles of media ethics on a matter of crucial importance to our society and that it has improperly intervened in a premeditated way at a pivotal point in this debate.
We reject the Sunrise Producer Michael Pell’s defence that same sex marriage is a human rights issue when the European Court of Human Rights has only recently confirmed it is not, saying in its judgement: ‘The European Convention on Human Rights does not require member states’ governments to grant same-sex couples access to marriage.’
We believe that Seven’s action precludes fair discussion of the important issues in this debate and the societal consequences of same sex marriage and the vulnerabilities it has been proven to create for freedom of conscience and religion.
We believe such partisan action by an element of the media also marginalises those who have an alternate view, particularly people of faith.
We call on the station to cancel this campaign action.
