Hilary Barry makes cheeky swipe after being cleared by the BSA for anti-vaxxers comment

Publish Date
Wednesday, 4 August 2021, 10:01AM

We all know Hilary Barry isn't one to shy away from controversy - especially when it comes to anti-vaxxers.

But her comments on the safety of the Covid vaccine on an episode of Seven Sharp earlier this year led to a complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

In the segment, which was broadcast on February 16, Barry suggested that those who did not want the vaccine should "jump on a ferry and go to the Auckland Islands for a few years ... the when we've got rid of Covid, come back."

Following the announcement yesterday that the BSA had ruled her comments did not breach its standards, the much-loved TV host couldn't resist taking a cheeky swipe at the decision.

Alongside a screenshot of the notice she received, she wrote: "Anti vaxxers 0, Hilary 1".

The BSA revealed in a statement that it had not upheld the complaint about the news item.

The viewer's complaint alleged that Barry's comments "breached the good taste and decency, discrimination and denigration, balance, accuracy and fairness standards, by suggesting the vaccine's safety was almost without question, and denigrating those with a different view".

But the BSA found that the comments weren't likely to cause widespread offence or undermine "widely shared community standards".

The authority also found that the broadcast segment did not address a controversial issue, so the standard of balance did not apply in this case.

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