An independent review of RNZ's editorial processes has found systemic issues at the broadcaster after pro-Russian edits were made to online news stories.
Meanwhile, RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson's comments that the organisation had published "pro-Kremlin garbage" contributed to unwarranted "public alarm and reputational damage", according to the review.
The criticism came in a 53-page report released this afternoon, produced by the independent panel tasked with investigating the broadcaster's processes and policies.
RNZ's chairman has affirmed his confidence in the broadcaster's executive team to implement the review's 20 recommendations.
The inquiry found the journalist involved "breached editorial standards" but "genuinely believed he was acting appropriately" whilst systemic issues at RNZ "facilitated the conditions for a journalist to do so".
It found the "vast majority of stories edited by the journalist were edited appropriately and professionally" but that inappropriate edits "involved adding information or using language which challenged the foreign policy settings of the United States or allies".
Some edits to overseas news copy were deemed appropriate by the panel but the journalist took on "more significant edits over time", culminating in the publication of unbalanced news stories.
The chief executive said the incident exposed a "systemic weakness" in the way in which stories were published on its website. (Source: 1News)
The report read: "The panel accepts that the person responsible for the inappropriate editing genuinely believed he was acting appropriately to provide balance and accuracy, and was not motivated by any desire to introduce misinformation, disinformation or propaganda.
"While the inappropriate actions were those of an individual journalist, the wider structure, culture, systems and processes that facilitated what occurred and responded to it are the responsibility of RNZ’s leadership."
RNZ board chairman Jim Mather said the broadcaster would follow recommendations to combine its digital news and main news operations, alongside having a new role focused on raising its editorial standards.
Mather said while final costs had yet to be calculated, the full cost of the panel investigation was projected to be $230,400.
Thompson criticised
Speaking in early June, Thompson apologised for the editing scandal in a media interview where he described the inappropriate edits as "pro-Kremlin garbage".
According to the panel's report, the chief executive later described his comments as based on instincts to "be brutally transparent" and "to avoid any suggestion of a cover-up".
The decision to use the language was criticised by the panel, which said it was "unhelpful".
"The characterisation of the editing as propaganda did not, in the panel’s view, help in mitigating that impact," the report read.
Several pro-Russia edits about the war were made by an RNZ employee. (Source: 1News)
"Listeners and others may have believed the editing had been a deliberate and orchestrated exercise in propaganda, rather than a failure of journalistic decision-making or practice.
"The characterisation of the actions as propaganda also had a negative impact on the journalist involved in the inappropriate editing, who told the panel the characterisation caused him great distress, led to online abuse, and severely harmed his reputation."
The report noted that others online, including ACT leader David Seymour, had also characterised the edits as propaganda.
Background
The broadcaster was last month engulfed in controversy over its editorial checks after revelations that "pro-Kremlin garbage" had been edited into news articles sourced from reputable overseas agencies about the Ukraine war.
Mahi for Ukraine's Kate Turska said both a physical war and a propaganda war were being fought. (Source: Breakfast)
The journalist accused of inappropriately slanting international news stories resigned from the public broadcaster in June, two weeks ago after being stood down.
An internal audit of articles posted by the journalist found many stories that RNZ website staff have deemed to have been "inappropriately edited".
As well as articles about the war in Ukraine, other Reuters and BBC world news stories on other topics have also been corrected since the issue came to light.
These included stories about the Israel-Palestine conflict, China-Taiwan relations, and the Syrian civil war.
RNZ has since put additional checks in place for international news stories published on its website.
The external inquiry into RNZ's editorial processes and standards involved a three-person panel "collecting key documents" and speaking to "a range of people from across" the news organisation.
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