BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

Summary  

[This summary does not form part of the decision.] 

The Authority has not upheld a complaint that a news bulletin on The Breeze about United States President Donald Trump’s social media post saying he was ‘glad’ Robert Mueller died, breached the accuracy and fairness standards. The complainant alleged the omission of Trump’s full post created a misleading and unfair impression of what he said. The Authority found the newsreader’s summary of Trump’s response was accurate, the post was correctly attributed, and the choice to include or not include the full post was at the editorial discretion of the broadcaster. Other national and international media outlets also reported on the post, which reduced the likelihood of the segment materially misleading the audience.

Not Upheld: Accuracy and Fairness

The broadcast

[1]  The 22 March 2026 broadcast of The Breeze included a news bulletin reporting a post by United States President Donald Trump on Truth Social, a social media platform. The post was about the death of Robert Mueller, former director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The newsreader said:

The former FBI leader who investigated US President Donald Trump's ties to Russia has died at 81. Robert Mueller led the agency after 9/11 and served as a Marine Corps officer during the Vietnam War, receiving a bronze star for heroism and a purple heart. The President says he's ‘glad’ he died in a social media post.

The complaint

[2]  Grant Edwards complained the broadcast breached the accuracy and fairness standards of the Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand for the following reasons:

• The bulletin omitted the ‘continuation of the sentence: “He can no longer hurt innocent people.” This omission is not a minor edit. It materially alters the context and meaning of the statement, resulting in a significantly different and more inflammatory impression than the full, verifiable quote.’
• The ‘selective use of a partial quote’ was misleading and unfair as Trump’s ‘words were not presented in their proper context’.

The broadcaster’s response

[3]  MediaWorks Radio Ltd (MediaWorks) did not uphold the complaint for the following reasons:

• The quote “I’m glad he’s dead” ‘has been widely reported globally as what he said in his [Trump’s] post’.
• In review of Trump’s post, the exact wording of the post had ‘two distinct sentences that can justifiably be treated as such’.
• MediaWorks emphasised the ‘importance of reporting facts, not opinion’ noting that there was ‘no opinion offered over whether his [Trump’s] comment was insensitive or not’.

The standards

[4]  The purpose of the accuracy standard (standard 6) is to protect the public from being significantly misinformed.¹ The standard states:²

• Broadcasters should make reasonable efforts to ensure news, current affairs or factual content:
  • is accurate in relation to all material points of fact
  • does not materially mislead the audience (give a wrong idea or impression of the facts).
• Further, where a material error of fact has occurred, broadcasters should correct it within a reasonable period after they have been put on notice.

[5]  The purpose of the fairness standard (standard 8) is to protect the dignity and reputation of those featured in programmes.³ The standard states:⁴

Broadcasters should deal fairly with any individual or organisation taking part or referred to in a broadcast.

Our analysis

[6]  We have listened to the broadcast and read the correspondence listed in the Appendix.

[7]  As a starting point, we considered the right to freedom of expression. It is our role to weigh up the right to freedom of expression and the value and public interest in the broadcast, against any harm potentially caused by the broadcast. We may only intervene where the level of harm means that placing a limit on the right to freedom of expression is reasonable and justified.⁵

Accuracy

[8]  Determination of a complaint under the accuracy standard occurs in two steps. The first step is to consider whether the segment was inaccurate in respect of material statements of fact, or misleading as a whole. The second step, if applicable, is to consider whether reasonable efforts were made by the broadcaster to ensure the programme was accurate and did not mislead.⁶

[9]  The standard is concerned only with material inaccuracies. Technical or unimportant points that are unlikely to significantly affect viewers’ understanding of the programme as a whole are not considered material for the purposes of this standard.⁷

[10]  The complainant alleged the segment was inaccurate because only a part of Trump’s post was reported, and the ‘selective use of a partial quote’ was misleading.

[11]  The requirement for factual accuracy applies to statements of fact, not statements which are clearly distinguishable as analysis, comment or opinion. We are satisfied the statement about what Trump said in response to Mueller’s death constitutes a matter of fact and that the accuracy standard applies.

[12]  In determining the accuracy of the newsreader’s statement, we reviewed Trump’s original post. In full, the post said, ‘Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP.'

[13]  The Breeze’s newsreader said, ‘The president says he's “glad” he died in a social media post.’ The newsreader’s statement accurately states the wording of the post.

[14]  The focus of the accuracy standard is ensuring the general audience is not significantly misinformed. We must therefore also consider whether the omission of the next sentence, ‘He can no longer hurt innocent people,’ materially misled the audience within the context of the broadcast.

[15]  The contrast between the list of Mueller’s accomplishments, before Trump’s comment that he was ‘glad’ Mueller died, may have had the potential to negatively influence the audience’s view of Trump’s comment. However, the segment was a brief and factual summary of what Trump said, with only one word explicitly quoted (‘glad’), and including the next sentence would not have significantly changed the context or meaning of the comment. The item was brief and reported on the same day Trump’s post was made, in between other items of local and international news. The segment did not expand or provide commentary on Trump’s post, and the post itself remained publicly available and accessible on Truth Social.

[16]  We consider the choice to include and exclude parts of Trump’s post is at the editorial discretion of the broadcaster. We do not consider MediaWorks was required to include the entire post in the context of this very short item. In addition, Trump’s social media post was widely reported across other national and international media outlets⁸, which reduced the likelihood of a listener being misled by this single item.⁹ We do not consider the omission of the third sentence created a materially misleading impression of Trump’s post at a level sufficient to prompt our intervention.

[17]  Hence, we do not uphold this complaint under the accuracy standard.

Fairness

[18]  The purpose of the fairness standard is to protect the dignity and reputation of those featured in a broadcast.

[19]  The complainant said the segment breached the fairness standard, as Trump’s ‘words were not presented in their proper context’ and, as a result, the summary of Trump’s post was unfair.

[20]  The threshold for finding unfairness to an individual or organisation may take into account the following factors:¹⁰

a)  the nature of the content (eg news and current affairs, political content, factual, dramatic, comedic or satirical)

b)  the nature of the individual or organisation (eg whether the individual is a public figure or an ordinary member of the public; whether the individual or organisation is based in New Zealand or overseas)

c)  whether the programme would have left the audience with an unfairly negative impression of the individual or organisation

d)  whether any critical comments were aimed at the participant in their business or professional life, or their personal life

e)  the public significance of the broadcast and its value in terms of free speech.

[21]  The threshold for finding a breach of the fairness standard in relation to public figures and politicians is higher than for a layperson or someone unfamiliar with dealing with media.¹¹ We recognise politicians and public figures hold a position in society where robust questioning and scrutiny of their statements is encouraged and expected.

[22]  We have previously considered Trump is a highly controversial figure who holds one of the most powerful offices in the world as president of the United States.¹² As highlighted by MediaWorks, Trump’s social media post was widely reported, using either the full or partial statement, by a range of news outlets. In this context, we consider the broadcast unlikely to have a significant impact on Trump’s reputation from the perspective of a New Zealand audience.

[23]  Accordingly, we do not uphold this complaint under the fairness standard.

For the above reasons the Authority does not uphold the complaint. 

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Susie Staley
Chair
24 June 2026    

Appendix

The correspondence listed below was received and considered by the Authority when it determined this complaint:

1  Edwards’ original complaint – 22 March 2026

2  MediaWorks’ decision – 23 and 24 March 2026

3  Edwards’ referral to the Authority – 22 and 23 March 2026

4  MediaWorks’ response to the referral – 13 April 2026

5  Edwards’ further comments – 14 April 2026

6  MediaWorks’ confirmation of no further comments – 16 April 2026

¹ Commentary: Accuracy, Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand, page 16
² Standard 6: Accuracy, Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand
³ Commentary: Fairness, Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand, page 20
⁴ Standard 8: Fairness, Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand
⁵ Introduction, Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand, page 4
⁶ Commentary: Accuracy, Code of Broadcasting Standards, page 16
⁷ Guideline 6.2: Accuracy, Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand, page 15
⁸ Aaron Blake “Robert Mueller, and Trump’s many insensitive comments about people who died” RNZ (online ed, 22 March 2026); “‘Good, I’m glad he’s dead’: Trump responds to death of ex-FBI chief Robert Mueller, who led Trump-Russia investigation” Sky News (online ed, 22 March 2026); ‘“Good, I’m glad he’s dead’: Trump celebrates death of former FBI boss’ Newstalk ZB (online ed, 22 March 2026); and Andrew Kirell and Brian Stelter “Trump said he was glad Robert Mueller died. Fox News never mentioned his comment on TV” CNN (online ed, 23 March 2026)
⁹ For a similar finding, see Grinwis and Radio New Zealand Ltd, Decision No. 2024-090 at [17]
¹⁰ Guideline 8.1: Fairness, Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand, page 19
¹¹ Guideline 8.1: Fairness, Code of Broadcasting Standards in New Zealand, page 19
¹² Arron, More & Jordan and Television New Zealand, Decision No. 2025-067 at [44]