The viewer provider received 1900 complaints by interviewing Paulo Raimundo, exclusively about Ukraine. “The fact that the interview has one or more topics is not a problem,” believes the journalist.
Was the target of about 1900 Complaints by viewers after the one who led to Paulo Raimundo, leader of the PCP.
The conversation of March 24 at RTP was about to be about the legislative elections of May 18, but journalist José Rodrigues dos Santos opened and closed with a single theme in the 10 minutes of interview: Ukraine.
“A complaint would be enough for me to pay attention, in this case an unusual number was reached,” confirmed Ana Sousa Dias of the viewer provider.
The 10 minutes were not only worth almost two thousand complaints of those who saw the “debate” lit: the PCP promised to trigger “All legal means” against RTP by the “provocation” to Raimundo.
Now, the writer has defended himself: he says that Paulo Raimundo said that the central theme would be Ukraine.
“Before each interview I have a conversation with the interviewee when I say the time it will last – in that case 10 minutes – and the theme. In this case I explained it was Ukraine. In fact, I had other [temas]but I only spoke in that”The journalist told the shower’s provider on the program.
“The fact that the interview has one or more topics is not a problem,” he believes.
“There is no law or ethical imperative that obliges the interview to have a theme or several. It is according to the circumstances, the guest and the editorial perspective. I told him that we were going to try to undo the misconceptions and clarify the position of the PCP over Ukraine,” he said.
And it is also explained about the repetition of the question “is opposed to sending weapons to Ukraine?”
“When I ask you, ‘When you say we are responsible for war because we send the weapons, deep down what the PCP always said is it against the sending of weapons?’ [Paulo Raimundo] It responds several times ‘no’ (…) but then, following it, it implies that yes. ”
“I wanted to help you clarify so that you can see the position of the PCP,” he concludes.
Despite the defense presented, the suppressor of the viewer, Ana Sousa Dias, criticized the journalist’s approach, considering that the interview “was clearly different from all the others” and “objectively unsuccessful.” He pointed out that there was no real clarification of the PCP positions, compromising RTP’s public service.
Also the information direction of the public station, represented by José António Teixeira, recognized failures. He admitted that the interview fell short of the expected, namely because he did not covered other topics other than Ukraine, as he was initially planned.
The PCP announced the presentation of formal complaints to ERC, the CNE and the CCPJ, contesting the conduct of the interview by alleged disrespect for pluralism and equity in the treatment of parties.
