Summary of Media Council ruling 3527: Brad Lips against TVNZ
The complaint arises from a Mata Reports episode called Trick of Treaty? Indigenous Rights, Referendums and the Treaty of Waitangi.
The programme, published in December 2023, discusses the Australian Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum and what could happen in NZ if there was a referendum on the Treaty of Waitangi.
The programme explores the role of the Atlas Network in the referendum describing it as a little known global organisation with links to many right-wing think tanks, such as Advance Australia.
The programme quotes a NZ academic who says the Atlas Network think tanks will oppose anything that gets in the way of the fossil fuel industry such as climate policy or indigenous land rights.
Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips disputes a number of statements in the episode saying they are inaccurate and misleading. He also complains the programme producers had not contacted the Atlas Network for comment or clarification.
The Media Council considers there are two important issues at stake in Mr Lips’ complaint. First, did the programme contain factual errors? Second, should the Atlas Network have been approached for comment?
The Council considered the detailed defence TVNZ provided to the factual inaccuracies alleged by Mr Lips and believes TVNZ has convincingly defended the statements in the programme.
However, the Council upheld by a narrow margin that it was unfair not to provide the Atlas Network an opportunity to respond to the negative opinions expressed about it.
While TVNZ had added a single sentence below the programme video saying the Atlas Network did not oppose climate policy or indigenous land rights the Council considered this did not adequately address the lack of fairness that resulted from not inviting the Atlas Network to respond before publishing the programme.
The full Media Council ruling can be found here.
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