Reporting on sexual assault allegations 'unfair' to Otago Uni

The Otago University Students' Association has disaffiliated with the Elohim Bible Academy. Photo...
The University of Otago was highly critical of the reporting by TVNZ at the time. Photo: ODT files
Reporting by TVNZ on sexual assault and rape allegations by current and former students of University of Otago has been ruled unfair.

In a summary of its decision released today, the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) found items on on TVNZ’s Breakfast and 1 News were unfair to Otago University, in breach of the fairness broadcasting standard.

The Breakfast programme was also found to be in breach of the balance broadcasting standard.

In a statement at the time of the reporting vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne last year criticised the "reporting, accuracy and responsibility of TVNZ as a public broadcaster''.

The findings relate to a complaint by the university regarding items on Sunday, 1 News and Breakfast about sexual assault allegations by former and current students of the university.

The complaint about Sunday was not upheld, as overall the Sunday programme was balanced.

The programme included excerpts from letters between senior university staff members released under the Official Information Act to one of the students, who called herself "Michaela'' in the programme.

Michaela said she was assaulted after signing up for a blind date organised by Critic Te Arohi student magazine.

A sentence from one email read on Sunday said if the matter had led to a rape complaint "it would not have been a good look for the University of Otago'', and featured the former university student saying the emails revealed "damage control'' on the part of the university.

The university said in statement last year the emails were taken out of context, and the idea the university was more concerned about its reputation might potentially deter students from complaining.

In ruling against the university's complaint about the Sunday reporting, the BSA said the programme was clearly signalled as coming from the perspective of the women interviewed and included comment from the university.

No material inaccuracies were identified, and the university was given a reasonable opportunity to respond.

The ruling said the complaint raised important issues about fairness, accuracy and balance in journalism.

The Sunday broadcast focused on the sensitive subject of sexual assault complaints, and the question of how universities, and in this case how Otago University, should respond.

"These are challenging issues of public importance with high public value. In its decision, the Authority acknowledged the role of the media to challenge, and noted that asking, 'how should sexual complaints be handled?' is important.

However, the subsequent Breakfast and 1 News items chose to focus on the university’s decision not to be interviewed, resulting in unfairness to the university.

The authority commented the “broadcasts on Breakfast and 1 News changed the focus of the story.

"In our view the university was not treated fairly and, in the case of Breakfast, balance was also lacking.

"These two programmes fell short of the standards we expect of broadcasters in New Zealand.”

Breakfast advanced the allegations that the university mishandled allegations of sexual assault to avoid reputational damage.

This was asserted by one of the women interviewed in the Sunday programme and was clearly opinion.

However, on Breakfast this opinion was presented as fact.

The Authority found the university was not adequately informed or given a fair and reasonable opportunity to comment.

While Sunday did not portray the university adversely, for not appearing on camera, when this became the focus of the Breakfast item the result was that the niversity’s position was not fairly represented.

The inclusion of statements from the university that were read on air, for example 'Otago University says it has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct by students or staff', were not sufficient to balance the specific allegations made on Breakfast.

The authority did not make any orders, and said that the publication of its decision would be sufficient to censure the broadcasters’ conduct.

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Comments

What deters complaint is the institutional brick wall and professional authorities like this who question credibility of complaint and complainant.

 

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