Journalism Ethics Commission Rules Against Carmen Porter Over Tangier Comments

The Commission of Arbitration, Complaints and Journalism Ethics has issued a formal resolution regarding a complaint filed against the television program 'Horizonte,' which airs on the Spanish network Cuatro. The ruling concerns statements made by journalist and presenter Carmen Porter during a broadcast on September 3, 2026, regarding the habits of residents in Tangier, Morocco.

During the broadcast, Porter discussed the presence of plastic bottles placed outside homes in certain neighborhoods of Tangier. She claimed that these bottles were filled with urine, describing the practice as a local custom. Her co-host, Iker Jimenez, characterized the alleged behavior as a "disgusting act" during the same segment. The discussion occurred while the hosts were analyzing events related to Ceuta, including criticisms of migration management and local sanitary conditions.

The complainant argued that these remarks violated the Code of Ethics of the Federation of Associations of Journalists of Spain (FAPE), specifically citing the duty to verify facts, the duty of rectification, and the requirement to respect human dignity and avoid discrimination. The investigation sought to determine whether the information presented by the journalist was accurate and properly sourced.

Evidence provided during the investigation suggested that the bottles placed at the entrances of homes in Tangier are not intended to store human waste, but rather serve as a common method to deter stray cats and dogs from the property. This contradiction formed the basis of the ethics complaint, which alleged that the program failed to uphold the professional standard of truthfulness.

Legal counsel representing Porter and Jimenez argued that the comments were either taken out of context or intended as a joke, a concept referred to in legal terms as "iocandi causa." The defense maintained that the journalists hold no political bias and possess the utmost respect for the residents of Tangier. Furthermore, the defense stated that the presenters did not intend to offend any specific individual and suggested the situation might have been a misunderstanding.

In its final ruling, the commission declared that Porter violated the FAPE Code of Ethics, specifically Criterion I.1 and Article 13.d, which mandate the duty of truth and the verification of sources. The commission noted that the presenter framed her comments as a descriptive fact about local customs rather than an expression of personal opinion, which disqualified the remarks from being protected under the umbrella of freedom of opinion.

The commission concluded that the broadcast combined factual observations with unsubstantiated generalizations, which led to the formal complaint. However, the ruling explicitly cleared the program of other alleged ethical breaches, finding no evidence that the broadcast violated the right to rectification or failed to respect the dignity of the Moroccan people. The decision serves as a formal reprimand regarding the necessity of rigorous fact-checking in television journalism.