Police. Contained footage of complainant from 1990s being arrested and taken to police station to detox after solvent abuse. Upheld (privacy and fairness). Orders ($1,000 costs to complainant for breach of privacy, $1,000 costs to Crown).
The Claim Game. Profiled insurance claim involving car accident in which driver died. Not upheld (privacy, accuracy and good taste and decency).
3 News. Items investigated effectiveness of MSD’s “Community Max” scheme. Not upheld (controversial issues, accuracy, fairness and discrimination and denigration).
Californication. Contained frequent coarse language. Not upheld (good taste and decency).
3 News. Image allegedly showing Osama Bin Laden following his death. Not upheld (good taste and decency, violence, children’s interests, responsible programming, and controversial issues).
One News reported on legal aid lawyer Charl Hirschfeld’s resignation, with the statements that his “resignation comes within days of the Law Society launching an investigation into his legal aid work”, that he “topped the legal aid rich list”, that the LSA had “completed an investigation into payments to Mr Hirschfeld” and that “in the last year Charl Hirschfeld netted $3.2 million in legal aid money”. The Authority declined to uphold the complaint that the item breached the accuracy and fairness standards. Mr Hirschfeld’s arguments were primarily issues of semantics and the statements were not inaccurate or misleading; the broadcaster had treated him fairly since the item simply reported the facts and did not make any allegations of wrongdoing; and One News had also gone to his offices but he had been unavailable for comment.
Not Upheld: Accuracy, Fairness
Radio Live News and The Breeze News. News items reported that British woman was bitten by a lion cub at a tourist park. Not upheld (accuracy and fairness).
Te Ahi Kaa. Contained audio extract of news bulletin about Christchurch earthquake. Not upheld (responsible programming – action taken, and accuracy).
AMP Business. Reported commodity prices without reference to currency. Not upheld (accuracy and fairness).
Talkback with Michael Laws. Host offered view that it was a “Māori myth” that people were beaten for speaking Te Reo Māori. Not upheld (accuracy and discrimination and denigration).