The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit has found that reporting about the cancellation of a children’s GAA event in Comber fell below required accuracy standards.

Strangford DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen disclosed the ruling, saying the internal complaints process concluded the original report was not sufficiently precise. She stressed that as a publicly funded broadcaster, the BBC has a responsibility to provide fair and properly sourced journalism.

The complaint took almost eleven months to resolve, a delay McIlveen described as concerning. She pointed out that other media outlets had acknowledged and corrected similar errors far sooner.

McIlveen called the finding serious and said it should not be seen through a political lens. Regardless of the topic, she argued, those inaccurately depicted in news coverage deserve prompt and transparent corrections.

The MLA urged the BBC to examine what went wrong and put measures in place to restore public trust in its reporting.