News Ngā Pūrongo o te Wā

The BSA has not upheld a complaint that an interview in which RNZ’s Kim Hill misgendered and ‘deadnamed’ poet/rapper/author/artist Kae Tempest breached the discrimination and denigration standard. The interview included discussion about Tempest’s latest album, The Line is a Curve, and Tempest’s non-binary transition. While acknowledging the potential harm in the host’s words, the Authority found they were directed at the interviewee as an individual, not a section of society as required by the standard. It considered the complaint under the fairness standard (by implication) but did not find harm at a level meriting its intervention (noting Tempest handled the interview well and the host’s lack of intentional disrespect). However, the Authority encouraged broadcasters to be aware of audiences’ changing expectations of language used. This and other recently released decisions can be seen here.