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
All Decisions
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
A One News item reporting on the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press referred to British Prime Minister David Cameron as “an old mate of John Key’s”. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the accuracy and fairness standards: the reference to “old mate” in the introduction to the item was not a material point of fact and would not have misled viewers, and the brief comment did not implicate Mr Key in the manner alleged.
Not Upheld: Accuracy, Fairness
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
Two items on Checkpoint, broadcast on Radio New Zealand National, discussed the results of a recent “clamp down” on drug-taking truck drivers in New Zealand and Australia. The items included interviews with the CEO of the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency and with a representative of First Union, the union for road transport workers. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that the items breached the controversial issues standard: consideration of whether drug-taking by truck drivers is a widespread problem in New Zealand, and the implications for road safety, did not amount to a discussion of a controversial issue of public importance – at this stage it is not an issue that has been widely discussed or debated publicly – but the broadcaster nevertheless provided some balance in the items.
Not Upheld: Controversial Issues
A One News item reported on the verdict of not guilty in the Ewen McDonald murder trial. At the end of the item the reporter commented, “You could well be thinking, if he’s not guilty, why hasn’t he walked out these doors behind me and spoken to media? The reason for that of course is that he’s admitted causing vandalism, graffiti and arson…” The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the law and order, and fairness standards: the item was a legitimate news story with a high level of public interest, and as the accused in a high-profile murder case Mr McDonald could expect to be the subject of media scrutiny; and the reporter’s question did not encourage viewers to break the law or otherwise promote or condone criminal activity.
Not Upheld: Law and Order, Fairness
During the final episode of MasterChef New Zealand, broadcast at 7.30pm on TV One, the contestants used the words “crapping” and “pissed off”. The Authority did not uphold the complaint that this breached the good taste and decency standard: the language used was low-level and would not have offended most viewers in the context of a PGR programme.
Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency
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