ABC [Australian Broadcasting Corporation] Is Forced To Apologise After Shocking #MeToo Documentary Blunder Saw the Names and Faces of Rape Victims Exposed Without Their Consent
Daily Mail (UK) | 11-13-2019 | Kylie StevensThe ABC has apologised for an embarrassing blunder which saw the names and faces of three abuse victims accidentally identified in a preview for an upcoming documentary without their consent.
Due to air later this month, the three part Silent No More documentary presented by respected journalist Tracey Spicer explores the #MeToo movement in Australia.
The national broadcaster was left red-faced after a ‘human error’ led to an embargoed preview of the documentary sent to selected media outlets and failed to blur the names and details of three victims of rape, harassment and domestic violence.
The trio had wished to remain anonymous.
A horrified Ms Spicer apologised when she spoke at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday night, where she was . . .
, Obama-like,
. . . awarded the 2019 Sydney Peace Prize.
The former television newsreader told guests she was assured victims who had approached her to tell their stories but didn’t want to be part of the documentary would be ‘blurred, redacted and de-identified’.
‘The fact this wasn’t done is deeply distressing,’ Ms Spicer said.
‘To those who trusted me . . .
she said, doing her best not to remind viewers of Eric Stratton, Rush Chairman,
… I am truly sorry.’
. . .
The documentary was a 18-month project for Ms Spicer.
, which did not include five seconds of quality control,
. . .
‘There were a lot of flaws in this very patched-together system because of a tsunami of disclosures that I most certainly didn’t expect,’ she said.
And she continues to support government takeover of healthcare in both Australia and the U.S.
Oopsie!
“So, you have an ‘anonymous victims’ report for me?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“So how are you going to keep them anonymous?’
“Well, I thought showing their face with, you know, a caption at the bottom of the screen showing their names would be the way to go.”
“How is that going to work?”
“What do you mean?”
“How’s that going to protect their anonymity?”
“I don’t know!”
“I mean, you went to the extra trouble of actually typing out their names and putting them on a Chyron below their faces . . . ”
“It seemed like a really good idea. I’m going to have to ask you to get all of the way off my back about that.”
“Oh. OK.”