3: Opportunity to respond Relevant standard 5. Fair and honest dealing Opportunity to respond 5.3 Where allegations are made about a person or organisation, make reasonable efforts in the circumstances to provide a fair opportunity to respond. In the case of fair and honest dealing, the relevant Principles provide: Fair and honest dealing is essential to maintaining trust with audiences and with those who participate in or are otherwise directly affected by ABC content. […] Finding The ABC did not breach standard 5.3 of the Code. Reasons The complaint is that the ABC failed to engage in fair and honest dealing with Evocca in relation to allegations made against Evocca that: it engages in dodgy dealings it is unscrupulous, has no interest in education and training and is only interested in churning students it that students will never earn $53,300 per annum to trigger loan payback it targeted disadvantaged students and dishonestly caused them to debt it would not allow staff to discuss cancelling or withdrawing enrolments because it was motivated by greed it backdated forms due to serious questions about the qualifications of some of its tutors. The complaint is that: some of these allegations were not put to Evocca before the broadcast Evocca was not given the specific details of other allegations before the broadcast (for example, it was not given a copy of the internal email allegedly indicating that Evocca instructed staff to not discuss cancellations or withdrawals with students) the broadcast omitted information provided by Evocca about its pre-enrolment process which is relevant to the allegation that it targets disadvantaged students it was not a reasonable timeframe to respond to the matters that were put to it. The ABC responded:
3: Opportunity to respond Relevant standard 5. Fair and honest dealing Opportunity to respond 5.3 Where allegations are made about a person or organisation, make reasonable efforts in the circumstances to provide a fair opportunity to respond. In the case of fair and honest dealing, the relevant Principles provide: Fair and honest dealing is essential to maintaining trust with audiences and with those who participate in or are otherwise directly affected by ABC content. […] Finding The ABC did not breach standard 5.3 of the Code. Reasons The complaint is that the ABC failed to engage in fair and honest dealing with Evocca in relation to allegations made against Evocca that: it engages in dodgy dealings it is unscrupulous, has no interest in education and training and is only interested in churning students it that students will never earn $53,300 per annum to trigger loan payback it targeted disadvantaged students and dishonestly caused them to debt it would not allow staff to discuss cancelling or withdrawing enrolments because it was motivated by greed it backdated forms due to serious questions about the qualifications of some of its tutors. The complaint is that: some of these allegations were not put to Evocca before the broadcast Evocca was not given the specific details of other allegations before the broadcast (for example, it was not given a copy of the internal email allegedly indicating that Evocca instructed staff to not discuss cancellations or withdrawals with students) the broadcast omitted information provided by Evocca about its pre-enrolment process which is relevant to the allegation that it targets disadvantaged students it was not a reasonable timeframe to respond to the matters that were put to it. The ABC responded:
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