Episodes of Last Chance Dogs, a reality television series on TV2 about dogs with behavioural problems and their owners, featured a resident dog trainer who worked with badly behaved dogs. Her dog training methods were alleged to be outdated and harmful. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the programmes breached standards relating to controversial issues, accuracy, responsible programming and violence: they did not discuss a controversial issue of public importance but focused on individual cases; the programme commentary would have been interpreted by viewers as opinion rather than fact; the episodes were appropriately classified PGR and contained a clear disclaimer; and the display of dog training methods was not “violence” as envisaged by the standard. Overall, the Authority considered that the complainant’s objection to the methods shown was not an issue of broadcasting standards.
Not Upheld: Controversial Issues, Accuracy, Responsible Programming, Violence
An episode of Media 7, a weekly commentary and review show on TVNZ7, included an interview with an investigative journalist and foreign correspondent in Afghanistan. He made comments that were critical of a reporter and her account of the Kandahar massacre which had recently been broadcast on Australian current affairs show Dateline. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the episode breached the fairness and accuracy standards: the ability to robustly review media is essential to the functioning of a healthy democracy; the criticisms overall were aimed at the reporter in her professional, as opposed to her personal, capacity; the complainant was provided with a fair and reasonable opportunity to comment and his response was fairly summarised; and the use of Dateline extracts was not unfair. The journalist’s comments were clearly distinguishable as his personal and professional opinion and therefore exempt from standards of accuracy.
Not Upheld: Accuracy, Fairness
Three news items on One News Tonight and 3 News that covered the debate around legalising “gay marriage” used the word “gay” numerous times to mean “homosexual”. The Authority declined to determine complaints that the items breached the accuracy standard: the Authority has previously declined to determine an identical complaint from this complainant on the ground that it was frivolous and trivial.
Declined to Determine: Accuracy
During a segment on Breakfast, a guest presenter introduced a web video of a children’s television presenter with the comment, “What happens when you put a man like that through Auto-tune? Suddenly there’s LSD in the water!” The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the law and order, responsible programming, and children’s interests standards: the presenter’s comment was brief and light-hearted and viewers would not have been encouraged to break the law; Breakfast is an unclassified news and current affairs programme and the comment would not have distressed or alarmed viewers; the comment was silly and oblique – children would not have appreciated its meaning and would not have been encouraged to take LSD.
Not Upheld: Law and Order, Responsible Programming, Children’s Interests
In a segment on Police Ten 7 profiling an aggravated robbery of a bar, a wanted offender was described as “possibly Māori but pale skinned” and “possibly Māori, [with a] light complexion”. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the discrimination and denigration standard since it did not encourage the denigration of, or discrimination against, Māori as a section of the community.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Accuracy, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration
A One News item reported on the continuing debate over who owns New Zealand water, as part of the wider discussion about the Government’s proposal to sell state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and contained the graphic of a sign: “For Sale, NZ SOEs”. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the accuracy standard: the graphic was not a “material point of fact”, and given the extensive coverage of the Government’s proposed partial asset sales, viewers would not have been misled.
Not Upheld: Accuracy
An item on Nightline that followed up an earlier report on a “strip club turf war” in Wellington contained brief footage of a woman who was wearing a G-string dancing erotically on a pole. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the good taste and decency standard: the footage was very brief and had some relevance to the subject matter, the programme was broadcast more than two hours after the Adults Only watershed, and the majority of viewers would not have been offended in this context.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Discrimination and Denigration, Repsonsible Programming
A news item on Checkpoint allegedly contained certain comments from Radio New Zealand’s economics reporter. The Authority declined to determine the complaint that these comments breached the accuracy, fairness and responsible programming standards: the comments identified by the complainant did not match the broadcast time and date specified and the Authority was therefore unable to assess broadcasting standards against those comments.
Declined to Determine: Accuracy, Fairness, Responsible Programming
In a One News sports item reporting that Olympic medallist Nadzeya Ostapchuk had missed the deadline to appeal her positive drugs test so Valerie Adams would get her gold medal, the sports reporter joked to the other One News presenters, “If it hasn’t been melted down by a goldsmith in Minsk as we speak.” One of the presenters responded, “Yes, or reclaimed by that crazy president they’ve got”. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached standards relating to good taste and decency, law and order, controversial issues, accuracy, fairness, discrimination and denigration, and responsible programming: the sports reporter and presenter were engaging in light-hearted banter and their comments did not carry any malice or invective.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Law and Order, Controversial Issues, Accuracy, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration, Responsible Programming
A One News item reported on a recent study by the University of Otago into the effects of 1080 poison on native robins. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached standards relating to controversial issues, accuracy, fairness and responsible programming. The use of 1080 as a method for pest control in New Zealand is a controversial issue of public importance which has been the subject of ongoing debate, and the item contributed a new development in the debate; viewers could reasonably be expected to be aware of arguments on both sides of the debate, and the programme presented significant viewpoints to an extent that was appropriate given the nature of the issue. The allegedly inaccurate statements were not material to the focus of the item and would not have materially altered viewers’ understanding of the broadcast, and the broadcaster made reasonable efforts to ensure that the item was accurate and did not mislead by interviewing the Professor who conducted the study.
Not Upheld: Controversial Issues, Accuracy, Fairness, Responsible Programming