Public views on offensive language harden, racial slurs least accepted
New Zealanders’ tolerance for offensive language in broadcasting has fallen in the past four years, partly reversing a long-term trend of softening attitudes.
Racial slurs and terms targeting specific communities continue to be seen as the least acceptable, according to new research carried out for the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
Pacific peoples, older women and Christians are least accepting of offensive language. Younger adults align more closely with national averages, but young women are less accepting than young men of the most offensive words.
The findings form part of BSA research tracking public views on offensive language, designed to guide broadcasters and inform BSA decisions to ensure programmes reflect current community standards. The latest survey, conducted in late 2025, updates findings from 2021, in a series that goes back over 25 years.
The new Language that may offend in broadcasting survey explored attitudes towards 31 terms and their use in different broadcasting contexts. These include swear words, racial and gender-based insults and blasphemy.
Key findings (including comparisons with 2021) include:
- More than half of the 26 terms assessed in both 2021 and 2025 are seen as less acceptable than four years ago, though tolerance levels are still relatively high in a longer-term context.
- Six of the 10 most unacceptable terms relate to race, ethnicity or culture. The N-word remains the least accepted, with 70% (up from 65%) of those surveyed deeming it totally unacceptable in broadcasting. A newly tested variant of this word, at 67%, was the second least tolerated.
- The C-word (66%, up from 57%) cemented its place in the top three. This and other terms related to misogyny saw particularly sharp rises in unacceptability – likely influenced by recent public debates and increased visibility in political contexts.
- More people now regard the blasphemy “Jesus F…ing Christ” as totally unacceptable (53%, up from 46%), reversing a softening in attitude between 2018 and 2021.
- Pacific peoples are the least accepting of strong language on air. Asian New Zealanders have lower than average acceptance for general profanity.
- Views vary by age/gender: older men are generally the most tolerant; older women the least.
- Strong language is least accepted in broadcasts with a host or presenter, such as talkback radio, sports commentary or factual programming, and in programmes before 8.30pm.
- Comedy, TV drama, music and reality TV are contexts where strong language is more tolerated, though this still depends on programme timing. Tolerance for strong language in reality TV has grown significantly in the last four years.
BSA Chief Executive Stacey Wood says the research gives broadcasters and the BSA a useful guide to New Zealanders’ evolving views on language used on air.
“Audiences continue to feel most strongly about insults aimed at specific communities. New Zealanders are saying language driven by racism and misogyny, in particular, has no place in broadcasting.
“Attitudes are constantly evolving. While the past four years have seen a rebound in objection to strong language, this is set against a long-term softening in attitudes since our first survey in 1999. Back then, the word ‘bugger’ in a well-known ute advert sparked national outrage – but this has long since dropped from the ranks of most offensive words.”
Wood says the findings reinforce the role of context in how language is perceived.
“Strong language is seen as more of a problem before the 8.30pm ‘watershed’, when it’s more likely to be encountered by children, and perceptions of offensiveness vary markedly according to programme type.
“This underscores the importance of audiences making informed choices about what they watch and listen to, and the usefulness of tools like classifications and audience advisories which help them do that,” Wood says.
ENDS
* 1,501 people aged 18+ were surveyed on 3-9 September 2025, by Verian on behalf of the BSA. The findings have a margin of error of +/-2.5% at the 95% confidence level. The 2025 survey included five new words and removed five from the previous list to ensure relevance. The full survey report, including findings on the acceptability of 31 specific words and expressions across 12 different broadcasting contexts, can be seen here.
FURTHER INFORMATION
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