BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

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Summary

The high number of emergency calls received by the Police on Christmas night and into

Boxing Day was dealt with in an item on One Network News broadcast between

6.00–7.00pm on 26 December 1995. It was also reported that about 90% of the calls

involved alcohol or domestic violence.

Mr Terry complained to Television New Zealand Ltd that the item was inaccurate,

unbalanced and encouraged discrimination against men. It breached the standards, he

said, as it did not deal with the central issues, which were access by fathers to children,

and the inadequacies of the Family Court system.

Pointing out that the straightforward item reported the facts about the number of

emergency calls received by the Police and the reasons for them, TVNZ denied that the

item was unbalanced or had encouraged discrimination. Dissatisfied with TVNZ's

decision, Mr Terry referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority

under s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

For the reasons below, the Authority declines to determine the complaint.

Decision

The members of the Authority have viewed the item complained about and have read the

correspondence (summarised in the Appendix). As is its practice, the Authority

determines the complaint without a formal hearing.

An item on One Network News on Boxing Day, 26 December 1995, reported that there

had been a high number of emergency calls on Christmas Day. A police officer in

Auckland was interviewed, who explained that there were many calls late in the evening

on Christmas Day, and that 90% of the calls involved alcohol or domestic violence.

Referring to ongoing Court proceedings through which he was seeking access to his

children, Mr Terry complained to TVNZ that the item breached the standards involving

accuracy, the portrayal of violence and discrimination against men. Access to children

by non-violent fathers, Mr Terry insisted, was the issue which the item should have

considered.

TVNZ assessed the complaint under standards G2 and G13 of the Television Code of

Broadcasting Practice. They require broadcasters:

G2  To take into consideration currently accepted norms of decency and taste in

language and behaviour, bearing in mind the context in which any language

or behaviour occurs.

G13 To avoid portraying people in a way which represents as inherently inferior,

or is likely to encourage discrimination against, any section of the

community on account of sex, race, age, disability, occupational status,

sexual orientation or the holding of any religious, cultural or political belief.

This requirement is not intended to prevent the broadcast of material which

is:

i) factual, or

ii) the expression of genuinely-held opinion in a news or current

affairs programme, or

iii) in the legitimate context of a humorous, satirical or dramatic work

On the basis that the straightforward and accurate news report was neither offensive nor

anti-male, TVNZ declined to uphold the complaint.

The Authority agrees with TVNZ that the item did not breach the standards. Further, as

it did not deal with the issue on which Mr Terry based his complaint – paternal access to

children – it decided that it is more appropriate in the circumstances not to determine the

complaint.

For the above reasons, the Authority declines to determine the complaint

in all the circumstances under s.11(b) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Judith Potter
Chairperson
21 March 1996

Appendix

Robert Terry's Complaint to Television New Zealand Ltd - 27 December 1995

Mr Terry of Reefton complained to Television New Zealand Ltd about an item broadcast

on One Network News between 6.00 - 7.00pm on 26 December 1995. The item

reported, he said, the large number of emergency calls involving family violence

received by the Police on Christmas Day - especially in the evening. Mr Terry

maintained that the item breached the standards relating to accuracy, the portrayal of

violence and had encouraged discrimination against children.

Mr Terry wrote:

I would like to point out that up to 95% to 100% of males love their own children.

Up to 100% behaved on Boxing Day. They didn't use violence on their partners.

Maintaining that the item was unbalanced as it did not address the issue of access to

children, Mr Terry reported that despite ongoing Family Court proceedings he had not

seen his two children for nearly four years. Adding that he had never assaulted his wife

or children, he argued that TVNZ should have examined what he described as the

failures of the Family Court procedures. He enclosed a report from "The Spectator",

dated 21.10.95, entitled "Mother, Apparently Does Not Know Best". He also sent

some correspondence he had had with the Department for Courts and the Minister of

Justice about his case.

TVNZ's Response to the Formal Complaint - 17 January 1996

Assessing the complaint under standards G6 and G13 of the Television Code of

Broadcasting Practice, TVNZ said that the item reported the high level of calls for police

assistance on Christmas night and into Boxing Day and that 90% of the calls involved

alcohol or domestic violence.

While expressing regret for Mr Terry's family situation, TVNZ argued that the

straightforward factual item could not be construed as being anti-male. The item had

included some extracts from current advertisements concerning domestic violence but

had not been judgmental. The complaint was not upheld.

Mr Terry's Complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority - 14

February 1996

Dissatisfied with TVNZ's response, Mr Terry referred his complaint to the

Broadcasting Standards Authority under s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

Pointing out that although the item had referred to 317 calls in Auckland, there were

only two on the West Coast. He also suggested that TVNZ should examine a specific

article which reported that human beings only used about 10% of their brains and an

item on 60 Minutes on saving bears.

TVNZ's Response to the Authority - 19 February 1996

Pointing out that it had difficulty in identifying the essence of Mr Terry's original

complaint and did not understand the reference to bears, TVNZ said that it did not wish

to comment further.

It enclosed some material prepared at the time the original complaint was received which

acknowledged that Mr Terry's own family situation was sad but stressed that the item

had nothing to do with access to children or the relationship between fathers and their

children.