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The Authority has declined to determine a complaint about a political commentator’s use of the phrase ‘not piss … them off too much’ when discussing Coalition Government tensions. The complainant argued the phrase was offensive. In light of the Authority’s Complaints that are unlikely to succeed guidance and previous decisions on low-level offensive language, the Authority considered it appropriate to decline to determine this complaint.   Declined to Determine (section 11(b), Broadcasting Act 1989 — in all the circumstances, the complaint should not be determined):  Offensive and Disturbing Content...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint about a Morning Report interview with Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer concerning the Israel/Gaza war. The complaint alleged the interview was unbalanced because no alternative perspective was presented to counter Ngarewa-Packer’s comments that Israel’s actions in Palestine amounted to genocide and apartheid, among other things, and that those statements were also inaccurate. The Authority acknowledged people may not agree with the terms used by Ngarewa-Packer during the interview and some would find them inflammatory, but ultimately found restricting the broadcaster’s and Ngarewa-Packer’s right to freedom of expression would be unjustified....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on Morning Report covered a truce between Israel and Hamas during the Gaza conflict. A Palestinian rights activist and an Israeli spokesman were interviewed. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the item was unbalanced because more air time was given to the Palestinian view, and because no significant point of view was presented from an equivalent Israeli activist. There is no requirement for mathematically equal time to be given to competing perspectives on controversial issues. Sufficient efforts were made during the broadcast to showcase the Israeli, as well as the Palestinian, perspective. Further, listeners could reasonably be expected to be aware of a range of views on the Gaza conflict given the extensive and ongoing coverage of this issue....

ComplaintMorning Report – panel discussion about Biketawa Declaration – presenter biased – panellist treated unfairly FindingsPrinciple 4 – reasonable efforts made to present significant points of view – no uphold Principle 5 – discussion could have been better handled – not, however, a breach of fairness requirement – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary An item on Morning Report, broadcast on National Radio on 31 October 2000 between 7. 20am and 7. 30am, included a panel discussion about the effects of the recently announced Biketawa Declaration, in which Pacific Islands Forum leaders agreed to change a 30-year tradition of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states, to allow the Forum to deal with regional crises....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on Morning Report discussed Mark Lundy's retrial for the murder of his wife and daughter. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the item incorrectly inferred that Mr Lundy had actively been seeking increased life insurance on the day the murders occurred, and that this was unfair. The item was a straightforward report of the latest evidence given at trial and the item as a whole clarified the meaning of its opening statements. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Fairness, Law and Order, Responsible ProgrammingIntroduction[1] An item on Morning Report discussed Mark Lundy's retrial for the murder of his wife and daughter. The item reported that 'Mark Lundy's retrial has been told that he tried to increase his family's life insurance just hours before his wife and daughter were hacked to death'....

Summary [This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on Morning Report reported on and discussed the introduction of ACT MP David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill 2017 to Parliament. The broadcast featured excerpts from speeches made during the first reading of the Bill, comments from RNZ’s political commentator and an interview with Mr Seymour. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that statements made by Mr Seymour that ‘[assisted dying is] becoming normal around the world’ were inaccurate. The Authority emphasised the importance of freedom of political expression and the high threshold required to justify limiting that expression. It found that the statement complained about was clearly distinguishable as Mr Seymour’s analysis and opinion, rather than a statement of fact to which the accuracy standard applied. Additionally, alternative viewpoints on the Bill were presented during the item so listeners would not have been misled....

The Authority has not upheld an accuracy complaint concerning a Morning Report interview with the Problem Gambling Foundation’s Director of Advocacy and Public Health. The interview discussed a new secondary school programme aimed at educating young people about the risk of developing problem gambling habits from playing video games, referring in particular to ‘loot boxes’ in gaming which often cost real money. The interviewee’s statement alleged to be inaccurate was, ‘We know around the world that a lot of countries have banned loot boxes…’ which the complainant said was incorrect as only one country – Belgium – has banned loot boxes. The Authority found in the context of the full five-minute interview, which focused on the importance of educating young people about the dangers associated with gaming and risk of developing problem gambling habits, this statement was not a material point of fact. Not Upheld: Accuracy...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an interview between host Kim Hill and John Tamihere, Chief Executive of Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust and the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, on Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report breached broadcasting standards. It found the interview did not threaten current norms of good taste and decency, noting that the robust nature of the interview was in line with audience expectations of RNZ and Hill. It also found the balance standard was not breached on the basis that Tamihere was given sufficient time to express his views and, given other media coverage, viewers could reasonably be expected to be aware of other perspectives regarding how to best increase Māori vaccination rates. It further found that Tamihere was not treated unfairly during the interview. Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency, Balance and Fairness...

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]Morning Report contained two items about the Government’s proposal for a specific criminal charge for family violence. A number of family violence experts were interviewed, and the introduction to one of the items stated that ‘14 women, six men and 10 children’ are killed by family violence annually. The Authority upheld a complaint that this statistic was inaccurate because the broadcaster’s source was significantly outdated, and it was part of the introduction which framed the discussion. However, the Authority did not uphold the aspect of the accuracy complaint that the items were misleading because they implied that men are overwhelmingly the perpetrators and women almost always victims of family violence....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-035 Dated the 28th day of March 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by CANON G J J A HADLOW of Rotorua Broadcaster NEW ZEALAND PUBLIC RADIO LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1998-061 Dated the 18th day of June 1998 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by JOHN CONNELL of Rotorua Broadcaster RADIO NEW ZEALAND LIMITED L M Loates R McLeod J Withers...

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 National Radio – interview with Pauline Hanson on Morning Report – interviewer asked if she was considering political life again and mentioned that ACT party in New Zealand was looking for a new leader – comments allegedly unfair to ACT leaders and voters Findings Principle 5 (fairness) – comment did not attribute politics of Pauline Hanson to ACT party or members – issue of fairness did not arise – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] Former Australian politician Pauline Hanson was interviewed on Morning Report on 7 May 2004, shortly before the 7 o’clock news. The interview took place in the context of Ms Hanson’s trip to New Zealand for the purpose of promoting a cleaning franchise. During the interview the interviewer asked Ms Hanson: Any thoughts about entering the political arena again?...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an interview with ACT Party leader David Seymour, on the day of the final reading in Parliament of the End of Life Choice Bill, was unbalanced. The complainant submitted that Mr Seymour was given free licence to give his views from his perspective as the sponsor and a strong advocate of the Bill, and it was important that either someone with opposing views was also given an opportunity, or that the interviewer critically questioned him, given the item’s proximity to the final reading of the Bill. The Authority accepted that issues surrounding the Bill and the euthanasia debate more broadly amounted to a controversial issue of public importance that triggered the requirements of the balance standard....

Summary An item on Morning Report dealt with genetically modified plants. In some parts of the item, the commentary and opinions were accompanied by music. The item was broadcast on National Radio on 5 May 1999 at about 7. 50 am. Mr Purvis complained to Radio New Zealand Limited that the "mood music" which was played was designed to engender a sense of foreboding. He questioned whether similar music would follow a report about an out-of-favour politician. RNZ responded that the music drew attention to some of the opinions expressed in the item. The item itself did not pass judgment on whether those opinions were correct or not, it wrote. Some public alarm already existed about the issue of genetic modification of plants, it submitted, and the music highlighted parts of the item but it did not create alarm....

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 1996-088 Dated the 15th day of August 1996 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by MINISTER OF HOUSING (Hon Murray McCully) Broadcaster NEW ZEALAND PUBLIC RADIO LIMITED J M Potter Chairperson L M Loates R McLeod A Martin...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a broadcast of Morning Report breached the accuracy standard through its reporting on research conducted by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research. The research indicated ‘At Level 1, among teachers who at least had attempted to gain credits in any of English, maths or science, significant percentages failed to gain an Achieved level endorsement (the NCEA equivalent of a subject pass). ’ The complainant considered the broadcast misleadingly implied an alarming number of primary teachers were unqualified to be teaching these subjects, by failing to make clear that further study was needed to qualify as a primary school teacher, or that an Achieved level endorsement at Level 1 is an optional award....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on Morning Report featured an interview with the manager of teacher practice at the Education Council. The interview discussed the Council’s drug testing of teachers and its ‘zero tolerance’ approach to cannabis use, and referred to a recent finding of misconduct against a New Zealand teacher who refused to undergo a drug test. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the item ‘pushed’ marijuana use by teachers. The item did not promote the use of illegal drugs or condone the behaviour of the teacher referred to. Rather, it offered a robust examination of the Council’s methods of drug testing teachers and its ‘zero tolerance’ approach to cannabis use. In this context the item did not encourage listeners to use illegal drugs or otherwise undermine law and order....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Morning Report – item on changing population statistics of New Zealand – introduced with reference to the possibility of New Zealand becoming a republic – allegedly unbalancedFindingsPrinciple 4 (balance) – topic of republicanism not the controversial issue of public importance covered by the item – balance on that issue not required – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] On 26 April 2005 at 7. 20am on National Radio, an item on Morning Report covered changing population statistics in New Zealand, noting the expectation of continuing increases in Asian, Māori and Pacific Island communities. The introduction to the item included the statement “some believe this will fuel arguments to ditch the Queen as the head of State”....

Download a PDF of Decision No. 1993-076:Ryall MP and Radio New Zealand Ltd - 1993-076 PDF545. 05 KB...