TVNZ’s complaints committee upheld a formal complaint from the council regarding the inaccurate statement broadcast on 1News on June 3.
The 1News report incorrectly stated Gore and Southland districts had already agreed to merge. The committee found the statement breached the accuracy standard of the Free-to-Air Television Code of Broadcasting Practice and upheld the council’s complaint.
Gore District Mayor Ben Bell said in a statement it was important information provided to the public about the future of local government was accurate.
‘‘Local government reform is a significant issue for our communities, and residents deserve factual reporting on matters that affect their district,’’ Mr Bell said.
‘‘There has been no agreement for Gore District Council and Southland District Council to merge. That’s why it was important we sought a correction when that statement was broadcast.’’
Following notification of the error, TVNZ removed the incorrect reference from the online version of the story available on TVNZ+. The broadcaster also apologised for the mistake.
Mr Bell said while the reference was brief, it generated concern among some residents.
‘‘When people hear something on a national news bulletin, they expect it to be accurate. We appreciated TVNZ’s willingness to acknowledge the error and correct the online story promptly.’’
The complaints committee noted the statement was incorrect and identified a breach of the accuracy standard, which requires broadcasters to make reasonable efforts to ensure news and factual content is accurate and does not mislead audiences. — Allied Media
