Search Rapua

BEFORE THE BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY Decision No: 112/94 Dated the 17th day of November 1994 IN THE MATTER of the Broadcasting Act 1989 AND IN THE MATTER of a complaint by DAME THEA MULDOON of Auckland Broadcaster TV3 NETWORK SERVICES LIMITED I W Gallaway Chairperson J R Morris R A Barraclough L M Loates...

A segment on Sunday contained a story about two women suffering debilitating symptoms of menopause, and included a brief discussion with a doctor about the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy as a treatment option. The complainant alleged the broadcast breached the accuracy and balance standards as it inaccurately described HRT as ‘safe’, promoted HRT’s benefits for other health issues, contained a statement that a 20-year-old study linking breast cancer to HRT had been discredited as flawed, and failed to provide countering views on HRT’s safety and on the validity of the study. The Authority did not uphold the complaint, finding it was reasonable for TVNZ to rely on Dr Teagle as an authoritative source, the segment was materially accurate, the story was clearly told from a particular perspective, and the alleged harm did not outweigh the broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Balance...

The Authority has declined to determine a complaint about comments made by the Political Editor on Newshub Live at 6pm, reporting on the first day of the new Parliament. Comments included that the Speech from the Throne sometimes sounded ‘like a National Party social media video’ and putting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ‘that’s National Party spin. ’ The complaint alleged this should have been identified as an opinion piece, and the Political Editor should be ‘unbiased’ and stick to news, not adding opinions. Declined to Determine: Balance, Accuracy, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint a news report on 1News breached several standards, by using the phrase Hamas ‘fighters’, rather than Hamas ‘terrorists’. The Authority found the choice of word could not reasonably be said to encourage the different treatment of Jewish or Israeli people, devalue their reputation, or embed negative stereotypes about them. Under accuracy, the Authority found the word was not inaccurate, was not material in the context of the broadcast as a whole, and there was no harm at a level justifying limitation of the broadcaster’s right to freedom of expression and editorial independence. The balance and fairness standards did not apply. Not Upheld: Discrimination and Denigration, Accuracy, Balance and Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint an item on 1 News, reporting on the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in the region of Kherson, Ukraine, incorrectly attributed responsibility for the incident, and shelling of the region after the incident, to Russia. The Authority noted the broadcast did not state, either expressly or implicitly, who was responsible for the dam’s destruction. Further, while the Authority acknowledged the broadcast may have implied Russia was responsible for some shelling in the Kherson region, this suggestion was not inaccurate, and the broadcast did not state Russia shelled the region after the dam’s destruction. It accordingly found no breach of the accuracy standard. The remaining standards did not apply. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Balance, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an interview between Indira Stewart and Hon Judith Collins as part of Breakfast’s ‘weekly check-in’ with the Leader of the Opposition breached the balance and accuracy standards. While acknowledging the robust and heated nature of the interview, the Authority found that as the segment was an interview with the Leader of the Opposition, and provided her with the opportunity to respond at length, the balance standard was not breached. Further, while the complainant considered Stewart’s line of questioning and comments to be uninformed and inaccurate, the Authority found that these were not ‘statements of fact’ to which the accuracy standard applied. Not Upheld: Balance and Accuracy...

Warning: This decision discusses issues of sexual abuse of children and suicide. The Authority has not upheld a complaint that documentary 1 Special: The Lost Boys of Dilworth was inaccurate by not mentioning the denomination or titles of school chaplains involved in sexual abuse of students, or a complaint that the inclusion of re-enactments of memories of survivors re-traumatised victims of abuse, promoted sexual offending against children, breached privacy and was unfair to child actors involved. The Authority found that omission to mention the denomination or title of chaplains would not have materially altered the audience’s understanding of the documentary. The Authority also found that the inclusion of re-enactments did not breach the standards nominated, noting in particular that audience members (including survivors of abuse) were given appropriate information to make informed viewing decisions, no re-enactment depicted sexual violence and the offending of paedophiles was condemned throughout....

The Authority has upheld a complaint from Kathryn Bayliss about an item on Cockies Hour concerning a discussion between Steve Wyn-Harris and the Chair of the Tukituki Water Security Project after the project was included on the Fast-track Approvals Bill's list of projects released on 6 October 2024. The Authority agreed the description of the 22 hectares of Department of Conservation land needed for the dam project as ‘only stewardship land’, when approximately 93% of it has ‘conservation park status’, was a material inaccuracy which the broadcaster had not made reasonable efforts to avoid. The Authority also found the broadcaster failed to correct the error within a reasonable period after being put on notice. Upheld: Accuracy Orders: Section 13(1)(a) Broadcasting Act 1989 - statement published on air and online...

The Authority has not upheld complaints an item on 1 News reporting on Immigration New Zealand’s decision to review Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s (also known as Posie Parker) entry into New Zealand breached broadcasting standards. The complainants were concerned with: the report’s description of Parker as ‘anti-trans’ and of neo-Nazis ‘supporting’ Parker; the lack of interviewees supporting Parker in the reports; and the unfair treatment of Parker. The Authority found the items were sufficiently balanced by significant perspectives included both within the broadcast and in other coverage within the period of current interest; any criticism of Parker did not exceed the robust scrutiny expected of public figures; and it did not breach standards to describe Parker as ‘anti‑trans’ (given her views) or to state that neo-Nazis ‘supported’ her at a previous rally. Not Upheld: Balance, Accuracy, Fairness, Discrimination and Denigration...

The Authority has partially upheld a complaint in relation to the accuracy of a Newshub Live at 6pm item about a person alleged to have harmed greyhounds. It alleged details about the accused were inaccurate and images of an unrelated dog accompanying the report were misleading. The Authority found the relevant details regarding the accused were not materially inaccurate. It found the broadcaster was correct in upholding the complaint initially in relation to the images used, but action taken in response was not sufficient to remedy the likely reputational damage to the handler and industry. The Authority held publication of this decision was sufficient remedy for the breach in all the circumstances. Upheld: Accuracy (Action Taken) No Orders...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint under the accuracy standard about a Newstalk ZB news item reporting Israel’s bombing of a Gaza City school and included an academic’s perspective on the incident. The complainant argued the broadcast was misleading by not mentioning that the school was (according to Israel) a Hamas command post and therefore a ‘legitimate target’, and by including the academic’s comments. The Authority found the academic’s comments were analysis, comment, or opinion to which the standard does not apply. It also found that choosing to not include Israel’s rationale for the bombing was a matter for the broadcaster’s editorial discretion. The broadcast was not materially inaccurate, and did not give a wrong idea or impression of the facts. Not Upheld: Accuracy...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a ThreeNews segment breached the accuracy and fairness standards by stating Pete Hegseth has ‘no relevant experience’ for the position of United States Defence Secretary. The Authority found the comment was clearly distinguishable as comment, analysis or opinion to which the accuracy standard did not apply. While the comment can be seen as an overstatement, in the context of the overall broadcast and other reporting regarding Hegseth’s nomination, it was unlikely to mislead viewers, and any potential harm caused by omitting to outline Hegseth’s military experience is not at a level justifying our intervention or restriction of freedom of expression. Noting the threshold for finding a breach of the fairness standard is higher for politicians and public figures, the Authority also found the brief comment would not have left viewers with an unfairly negative impression of Hegseth. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Fairness....

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that an item on RNZ’s 9am news bulletin about an electricity shortage in New Zealand breached multiple standards. The complaint focused on the broadcast’s allegedly inappropriate use of terms such as energy, fossil fuels, power and electricity and the omission of contextual information. In the context of the news bulletin, the Authority found RNZ’s audience was unlikely to be misled. Accordingly, the accuracy standard was not breached. The remaining standards either did not apply or were not breached. Not Upheld: Offensive and Disturbing Content, Children's Interests, Promotion of Illegal or Antisocial Behaviour, Discrimination and Denigration, Balance, Accuracy, Privacy, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint a 1News item breached the discrimination and denigration, and accuracy standards by stating allegations of a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa were a ‘conspiracy theory’ and omitting to include footage shown by United States President Donald Trump to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Authority found the statement and omission of footage were not materially misleading because the ‘white genocide’ allegations have been repeatedly debunked and widely discredited, with numerous sources calling the allegations a ‘conspiracy theory’. The discrimination and denigration standard did not apply. Not Upheld: Discrimination and Denigration, Accuracy...

The Authority has not upheld complaints an item on Sunday breached the accuracy, balance, fairness, and discrimination and denigration standards. The broadcast featured a 30 minute report on Aotearoa New Zealand’s medical staffing shortages, and explored whether this issue could be alleviated by the migration of medical staff from the USA, particularly those dissatisfied with the Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Roe v Wade. The complainants considered the broadcast unbalanced, favouring a ‘pro-choice’ perspective....

The Authority has not upheld a complaint two items on 1 News reporting on a political poll and interviewing several New Zealanders on the street breached multiple broadcasting standards. The complainant alleged the proportion of people interviewed was not an accurate or balanced representation of the political mood of the country, which was unfair to political parties, and certain comments constituted discrimination and denigration, or were inaccurate or unfair. The Authority held it was not a breach of broadcasting standards to feature ‘vox-pop’ interviews in proportions that do not match current political polling, and the standards either did not apply or were not breached in relation to other issues raised by the complainant concerning the broadcast. Not Upheld: Discrimination and Denigration, Balance, Accuracy, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld complaints a segment on AM interviewing the SPCA’s Science Officer, Dr Alison Vaughan, breached the balance, accuracy and fairness standards. Dr Vaughan discussed the organisation’s desire to end commercial greyhound racing in New Zealand and invited viewers to contact the Minister of Racing to support that cause. The complainants considered the segment presented only one perspective on the issue and did not attempt to balance it with other perspectives. The Authority found the segment was clearly introduced as presenting a particular perspective, and other perspectives would have been known to viewers given the issue had long-standing interest in NZ. The segment was also materially accurate, or otherwise reflecting Dr Vaughan’s analysis, comment or opinion, to which the accuracy standard does not apply. The fairness standard did not apply as no organisation was referred to in the broadcast. Not Upheld: Balance, Accuracy, Fairness...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint under the accuracy standard regarding a 1 News report that ‘thousands have again protested outside the White House against the recent Supreme Court decision to scrap the constitutional right to abortion’. The complaint was that the United States constitution does not include the right to abortion. The Authority found the item was not inaccurate in this respect, as a previous Supreme Court decision (Roe v. Wade) had interpreted the US Constitution as conferring a right to abortion. Not upheld: Accuracy...

An item on 1 News reported on the outcome of the US defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The Authority did not uphold a complaint that the item lacked balance by favouring Heard’s perspective and that certain statements were inaccurate or misleading. It found the balance standard did not apply as the complainant’s concerns did not relate to the omission of perspectives concerning a controversial issue of public importance as required. In any event, reasonable efforts were made to present Depp’s perspective. In relation to the statements that were allegedly inaccurate or misleading, the Authority found they were either materially accurate, or distinguishable as analysis, comment or opinion to which the accuracy standard did not apply. Not Upheld: Balance, Accuracy...