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Summary An episode of The Way We Were, dealing with New Zealand’s involvement in overseas conflicts, was shown on TV One on 13 January 1998, beginning at 8. 00 pm. Part of the narration included the words, "the Brits let us down", in an aspect referring to the fall of Singapore and Japan’s expansion into the Pacific during World War II. Mr Nichols complained to Television New Zealand Limited, the broadcaster, that the statement, which he had heard as "let down by the Brits in 1941", was factually untrue and inaccurate, and a gratuitous insult to a friendly country. In declining to uphold the complaint, TVNZ claimed some historical justification for the statement....

SummaryA new dietary supplement, aimed at men with prostate problems, was the subject of an item on One Network News broadcast on 7 July 1998 between 6. 00–7. 00pm. The item included interviews with a representative of the company which markets the product, a urologist, and a man who believed his prostate cancer was under control because of the supplement. Mr James complained to Television New Zealand Ltd, the broadcaster, that the promotion of the product amounted to an advertorial and was irresponsible as it did not alert viewers to its known toxic effects. Furthermore, he questioned the qualifications of the product’s promoter to make medicinal recommendations on a prime time news programme. In its response, TVNZ denied that the item was an advertorial, pointing out that it was initiated by TVNZ because it was considered newsworthy....

ComplaintOne News – interview with Chief Ombudsman about tax-payer funded sex-change operation where health bureaucracy acted unfairly – incorrect impression portrayed of ombudsman’s decision contrary to agreement before interview – unfair – distortion Interlocutory Decision 2001-ID001 – order to TVNZ to supply field tape to the Authority Interlocutory Decision 2001-ID002 – order to supply field tape to the complainant FindingsStandards G4 and G19 – item explained issue dealt with in Chief Ombudsman’s ruling – extract did not distort Chief Ombudsman’s comments – Chief Ombudsman not dealt with unfairly – no uphold Standard G1 – item’s introduction inaccurate – upholdNo Order This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary A ruling by the Ombudsman that a person seeking a taxpayer-funded sex-change operation had been treated unfairly by the health bureaucracy was dealt with in an item on One News, broadcast on TV One between 6. 00–7....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – reported sentencing of man convicted for stabbing a teenage tagger – reporter asked victim’s family for comment regarding defence lawyer telling them to “get over it” – footage showed lawyer saying it was “time for people to move forward, to move on” – allegedly in breach of accuracy and fairness Findings Standard 5 (accuracy) – reporter’s question was a reasonable summation of the lawyer’s comments when juxtaposed with footage of lawyer’s comments – not inaccurate or misleading – not upheld Standard 6 (fairness) – complainant did not identify who he thought was treated unfairly – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i)3 News – item about the release of the United Nations’ fourth report on climate change immediately preceded item about glacial decline in New Zealand – introduction to second item began “the UN report seems to back up what’s happening here” – images of ice melting and falling into water – allegedly unbalanced and inaccurateFindings Standard 4 (balance) – was a factual report rather than a discussion – not upheldStandard 5 (accuracy) – not inaccurate or misleading – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast[1] UN Report on climate change During 3 News on 18 November 2007, an item was broadcast at approximately 6. 15pm about the release of the fourth report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which, according to the presenter, asserted that “there is no doubt global warming is man-made”....

Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Sunrise – interview with representative of End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT) about the release of a US report on human trafficking – allegedly unbalanced and inaccurate Findings Standard 4 (balance) – item offered one individual’s opinion on the report and trafficking and prostitution generally – did not discuss a controversial issue of public importance – not upheld Standard 5 (accuracy) – interviewee made comments from ECPAT’s perspective – clearly distinguishable as comment and opinion – not upheld This headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] During Sunrise, broadcast on TV3 from 7am to 9am on 6 June 2008, one of the programme’s hosts announced that the US State Department had released its annual report on human trafficking, which “contains some strong words on New Zealand’s legalised prostitution system”....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – coverage of the Makara cemetery desecration – graphic beside the news presenter showed the internationally recognised anarchist symbol – inaccurate, unfair and unbalanced – complaint upheld by broadcaster – action taken allegedly insufficient Findings Action taken – sufficient – not upheldThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast [1] An item on One News broadcast on TV One at 6pm on 6 August 2004 dealt with the desecration of Jewish graves in Wellington. [2] The graphic beside the news presenter during the introduction to this item showed the internationally recognised anarchist symbol. [3] There was no suggestion during the news broadcast, other than the graphic, that the anarchist movement was involved in this incident....

ComplaintInside New Zealand: The Hardest Decision – documentary – abortion –inaccurate statements – unbalanced – undermined New Zealand legislation FindingsStandard 2 and Guideline 2a – lawful standard maintained – no uphold Standard 4 – programme balanced – no upholdStandard 5 and Guidelines 5b, 5d & 5e – mixture of fact & opinion – accurate and impartial – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary [1] Inside New Zealand: The Hardest Decision was a documentary which followed three women while they made a decision about whether or not to have an abortion. Several other women, who had been through the same experience, were also interviewed on the programme. The documentary was broadcast on TV3 at 8. 30pm on 28 November 2002....

Complaint under section 8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989Secret New Zealand – described the investigation into DC10 crash into Mt Erebus in 1979 as the “biggest cover-up” in aviation history – inaccurate – unbalanced – unfair Findings Standard 4 –- no imbalance in regard to the comments made about the complainant’s investigation – no uphold Standard 5 – no factual errors – no uphold Standard 6 – no unfairness to the complainant – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision Summary [1] The whereabouts of pages from the captain’s ring-binder notebook was investigated in an episode of Secret New Zealand which looked at the Air New Zealand DC 10 crash on Mt Erebus in Antarctica in 1979. Secret New Zealand is a series which highlights mysterious or unresolved aspects of New Zealand history and the episode complained about was broadcast on TV One at 8....

An appeal against the decision was dismissed in the High Court but the order for costs was quashed: CIV 2011-485-1836 PDF110. 08 KB Complaint under section 8(1B)(b)(i) of the Broadcasting Act 1989One News – reporter stated that supernova was “240 light years from Earth” – allegedly inaccurateFindingsStandard 5 (accuracy) – complaint frivolous and trivial – decline to determine under section 11(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989OrdersSection 16(1) – $50 costs to broadcasterThis headnote does not form part of the decision. Broadcast[1] An item on One News, broadcast on TV One at 6pm on 6 January 2011, reported on the discovery of a supernova by a 10-year-old Canadian girl. During the item the reporter stated: The Canadian Astronomical Society says Kathryn’s supernova was in a galaxy 240 light years from Earth....

Summary[This summary does not form part of the decision. ]An item on 3 News reported that 2015 was the planet’s hottest year on record. The reporter stated that ‘the impacts of that record high are close to home’ and interviewed two New Zealand climate scientists about the finding. The Authority did not uphold a complaint alleging that it was inaccurate and unbalanced for the reporter to imply that recent severe weather events in New Zealand were caused by global warming. The scientists who gave their views in the item were respected local experts, and the inclusion of comment from them localised the findings for viewers in terms of what they might mean for New Zealanders. In terms of the balance standard, global warming is an ongoing contentious issue which is widely discussed so viewers could reasonably be expected to be aware of the range of perspectives on global warming....

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 Authority1 has not upheld a complaint under the balance and accuracy standards relating to an interview on Breakfast about Government plans to reverse a ban on live exports. The complainant argued live export footage used in the segment contributed to a lack of balance, was misleading and would lead viewers to believe it depicted New Zealand cattle in distress. The balance standard was not breached given the interview was signalled as approaching the issue from a particular perspective, the audience could be expected to be aware of other viewpoints from other media, and the host had challenged the interviewee and referenced Government policy. The Authority found viewers were unlikely to assume the footage depicted New Zealand cattle and, in any event, if it had misled viewers on that point, it was not materially misleading because it would not significantly affect the audience’s understanding of the programme....

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a ThreeNews item breached the accuracy standard by claiming a 24-hour period in October 2024 was Dunedin’s ‘wettest day in a century’. In the context of an 11-minute live broadcast reporting on a regional state of emergency, the comments did not amount to material points of fact. Their inclusion would not have affected viewers’ understanding of the overall item, as its purpose was to provide information to New Zealanders following a natural disaster. Further, live reporting on extreme weather events carries high public interest, and this broadcast did not create harm at a level justifying restriction of the broadcaster’s freedom of expression. Not Upheld: Accuracy...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint a 1News item reporting the latest developments in the Middle East conflict and the end of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas breached the accuracy standard. The Authority found reasonable viewers were unlikely to be misled by neither the reporter’s brief statement that ‘Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching the January ceasefire’ nor the absence of further context. Not Upheld: Accuracy...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint an episode of The Panel, which discussed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s recent resignation announcement, breached the accuracy standard. During the episode, the host spoke briefly with a caller who raised concerns about COVID-19 vaccine mandates, to which a panellist responded ‘97% of us got vaccinated’. While the Authority acknowledged this statement was inaccurate, it was unlikely to significantly affect listeners’ understanding of the segment which focused on Ardern’s resignation. Not Upheld: Accuracy...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint a discussion between the hosts of AM and an interview with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins breached multiple standards for including statements from the hosts questioning the usefulness and purpose of Government inquiries into various sectors. The Authority found the balance and fairness standards were not breached as the interview with Hipkins provided an alternative viewpoint, and allowed Hipkins to comment on the Government’s reasoning for the inquiry. The accuracy standard did not apply, as the comments were analysis, commentary and opinion, and the discrimination and denigration, and offensive and disturbing content standards either were not breached or did not apply. Not Upheld: Balance, Accuracy, Fairness, Offensive and Disturbing Content, Discrimination and Denigration...

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a segment on AM, discussing the possible deregulation of GMOs, breached the balance and accuracy standards of the Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand. The segment included two interviews with proponents for deregulation, which the complainant considered to be unbalanced, resulting in the audience being misled. The Authority did not uphold the balance complaint, finding the segment adequately acknowledged the existence of other perspectives, and that the topic had a long history of controversy, meaning the audience could reasonably be expected to be aware of different perspectives. The Authority did not uphold the accuracy complaint, finding the introduction of one of the interviewees was not misleading. Not Upheld: Accuracy, Balance...

ComplaintHolmes – research findings on third generation contraceptive pill – danger to women of blood clotting – presenter told users to throw their pills away – inaccurate – unbalanced – caused unnecessary panic, alarm FindingsStandard G1 – no inaccuracy – no upholdStandard G6 – key issues isolated – opportunity for response given – majority no upholdStandard G16 – health message presented – focus on individual stories – style of programme – no uphold This headnote does not form part of the decision. Summary The release of research findings detailing the risks to women of taking the third generation contraceptive pill was the topic of a Holmes item broadcast on 16 June between 7. 00-7. 30pm. The presenter suggested that those who were taking several named varieties of the pills should throw them out....