BSA Pānui - June 2020
Number 102
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Kia ora koutou
 
We have had an eventful month completing and releasing our research reports on Children’s Media Use (commissioned with NZ On Air), litmus testing of BSA decisions on violence, satisfaction surveys from complainants and broadcasters and a valuable external review of decisions under the Accuracy standard. These reports are critical to supporting our work in promoting broadcasting standards, and are commissioned to assist broadcasters and the public in understanding the broadcasting environment, and community attitudes and views.

We also published our 2021 Statement of Performance Expectations (SPE) which sets out our budget and performance plan for the coming financial year, and our Statement of Intent for 2020-2024 outlining our strategic intentions and key measures. Both of these accountability documents acknowledge the challenging environment in which we operate, and the important role that standards play in supporting a broadcast media environment in which the right to freedom of expression may be exercised without harm.

This Pānui provides details of decisions that we have released since our June Pānui. Accuracy in news and current affairs reporting is a dominant theme. The decisions highlight the need for broadcasters to be vigilant in taking reasonable steps to ensure accuracy in reporting and the importance of ensuring that opinions are clearly distinguishable from statements of fact. These principles are critical as we move closer to the General Election and Referenda. The decisions discussed below provide useful guidance on how these principles apply.

We hope you enjoy this Pānui.

Ngā mihi
Belinda 

OVER THE LAST MONTH
  • Together with NZ On Air, we published the Children's Media Use Research which provides important insights for broadcasters and content producers. You can read the full report and our press release on our website, hereopen_in_new and hereopen_in_new.
  • Emeritus Professor John Burrows conducted an external review of BSA decisions under the accuracy standard. Professor Burrows' report can be found hereopen_in_new.
  • We published the results of our 2020 broadcaster and complainants satisfaction surveys. Both reports can be found on our website, hereopen_in_new.
  • We published our 2020 litmus testing research which gauges public attitudes towards violence on television and radio, and views on BSA's recent decisions on complaints relating to violence in broadcast content. You can find the report hereopen_in_new and our press release hereopen_in_new.
  • Leigh Pearson was reappointed to the BSA Board, joining Chair, Judge Bill Hastings, Paula Rose and Susie Staley.  The press release announcing Leigh’s appointment is hereopen_in_new.
  • Our 2021 Statement of Performance Expectationopen_in_new and our 2020-2024 Statement of Intentopen_in_new have been published on our website.  These documents recognise the challenging environment, the role that broadcasters play in keeping us informed and entertained, and the importance of broadcasting standards to support freedom in broadcasting without harm.
FEATURED DECISIONS

FREE-TO-AIR TELEVISION
Ministry of Education & I.D.C. New Zealand Ltd and MediaWorks TV Ltd - 2019-101 (29 June 2020) open_in_new

The Authority has found that a segment on Newshub regarding the sale of a report summarising data received from schools in a survey run by the Ministry of Education and I.D.C. New Zealand Limited breached the accuracy standard. The item reported on concerns of the New Zealand Educational Institute and survey participants regarding the sale of the report to Microsoft and Google. The Authority found that the statement ‘sensitive, private data about schools and their students pawned off to private companies by Chinese data giant’, which was included in the item, was materially inaccurate and likely to mislead viewers given the data contained in the report was anonymised and aggregated. The Authority also found the broadcaster did not make reasonable efforts to ensure that the relevant statement was accurate and did not mislead.

Upheld: Accuracy
No orders
 

Smith and MediaWorks TV Ltd - 2020-016 (14 July 2020) open_in_new

The Authority did not uphold a complaint under the good taste and decency standard about the use of the phrase ‘child pornography’ in a Newshub item reporting on the arrest of Sir Ron Brierley. The complaint was that the item should have instead referred to child sexual exploitation, as ‘pornography’ infers consent and normalises a terrible practice. The Authority acknowledged the complainant’s concerns about the use of appropriate terminology with regard to very serious criminal conduct against children, and noted that what is appropriate terminology is contested internationally among authorities and global agencies. The Authority also consulted the Digital Safety Team at the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), which deals with issues including countering child sexual exploitation. DIA advised that it does not use the phrase ‘child pornography’ and considers the term ‘child sexual abuse material’ most accurately describes the illegal material involving children. Taking into account the wider context of the news broadcast, including the high public interest in the item, the Authority found that the single use of the phrase complained about did not breach broadcasting standards or justify regulatory intervention. However the Authority encouraged broadcasters to note the issues highlighted in this decision and exercise judgement when selecting appropriate terminology to refer to this type of serious criminal conduct.

Not Upheld: Good Taste and Decency

 

RADIO
Terry and Radio New Zealand Ltd - 2020-018 (21 July 2020) open_in_new

The Authority declined to determine two complaints regarding broadcasts by Radio New Zealand. The first complaint related to a segment on the Five O’Clock Report which featured an interview with National Party MP Mark Mitchell. The second complaint related to a segment on the Morning Report featuring an interview with then leader of the Opposition, Simon Bridges. Robert Terry complained that the Five O’Clock Report segment contained biased coverage and that the Morning Report segment required balance.  The Authority found that the complaints did not relate to the content of the broadcast and were not capable of being determined by a complaints procedure. The Authority considered that, in all the circumstances of the complaint, it should not be determined by the Authority.

Declined to Determine: Balance

LATEST DECISIONS

MEDIA NEWS
New Zealand Abroad BSA Media Releases

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