About Australian Story and Media Watch
In 2006 the ABC's Media Watch program accused Australian Story of "failure to present the facts of the case fairly" over a three part program Beyond Reasonable Doubt produced by Walkley award winning journalist, Wendy Page.
In Beyond Reasonable Doubt Australian Story canvassed doubts about murder convictions arising from the death of a young man called Philip Walsham. The Media Watch critique of Australian Story referred in detail to complaints from WA police and prosecutors.
WA Police submitted identical complaints to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. In a 41 page finding ACMA rejected all grounds of complaint against Australian Story. ACMA found that that there had been NO breaches involving accuracy, impartiality or balance.
In the interim, the WA Supreme Court of Appeal found that there had indeed been a serious miscarriage of justice in the Walsham case, quashing all convictions and freeing the men imprisoned over Mr Walsham's death.
Despite the ACMA findings, Media Watch has declined to modify or withdraw its original criticisms of Australian Story.
More information:
Review the full ACMA finding about Australian Story's three-part program Beyond Reasonable Doubt here:
