Broadcaster Integrity and Accountability – SBS
Dear Special Broadcasting Service Corporation FOI Team,
I seek access to any SBS documents, correspondence, briefing notes, meeting minutes, or internal communications created from 1 October 2024 to the present which relate to:
• The BBC admission of misleadingly edited footage of Donald J. Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech in its Panorama documentary, including any SBS discussion on accuracy, implications, or possible editorial parallels;
• Any SBS reviews, audits, or internal communications concerning accuracy or editing of political coverage involving Donald Trump, the January 6 events, or broader U.S. election reporting.
I have noted in the past (20JAN2017) SBS World News broadcasted a news wrap as a video montage of the Inauguration of President Trump with vision of him swearing in on the Bible, and then vision was cutting to violent protesters confronting police and various shots of the size of the public crowds in attendance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing America the Beautiful? This was interesting but not necessary as it was more a statement than news reporting, and setting a negative tone for the Trump Presidency. As this type of video news montage wrap hadn't been done before and somehow wasn't able to be viewed via SBS on Demand - Which I found odd and unusual?!
Editors, producers and presenters need to maintain maintain neutral when reporting the news and not take or represents sides regardless of the content, if people in the news department have problems or issues with this then they need to be counseled or relocated and removed from the news program and process.
Yours faithfully,
Brian
##- Please type your reply above this line -##
Your request (492822) has been updated. To add additional comments, reply
to this email:
Hugo Clifford (SBS Australia)
19 Nov 2025, 12:02 pm AEDT
Dear Brian;
Freedom of Information - Request no. 492822
I refer to your request for access to documents relating to "The BBC
admission of misleadingly edited footage of Donald J. Trump’s 6 January
2021 speech in its Panorama documentary, including any SBS discussion on
accuracy, implications, or possible editorial parallels; Any SBS reviews,
audits, or internal communications concerning accuracy or editing of
political coverage involving Donald Trump, the January 6 events, or
broader U.S. election reporting."
We received your request on 18/11/2025 and the 30 day statutory period for
processing your request commenced from the day after that date. You should
therefore expect a decision from us by 19/12/2025. The period of 30 days
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Yours sincerely
SBS FOI Team
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