Faqs

No. The Council is an independent organisation.

Each complaint will be measured against the Statement of Principles. On receipt and after assessment it will either be referred to the Chair, a Committee of Council, or the full Media Council. Members will determine whether the complaint should proceed and whether there has been a breach of the ethical principles of journalism.

The Council comprises six public members, including the Chair (a retired Court of Appeal judge) and five members representing various sectors of the industry. The industry members are all senior members of their profession and are well-able to spot a defective story.

Committees of the Council comprise the Chair, one public member and one industry member.

The Media Council does not deal with legal issues. These must be taken up with a lawyer.

The Media Council’s adjudications are based on ethical Principles. It does not recover debts or seek monetary recompense for complainants.

A minority of the eleven members of the NZ Media Council are employed by media publishers as part of the prescribed makeup of the NZ Media Council.  In the event of a complaint against the employer, the conflict's policy set out in s. 64 (1) of the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 applies.  A member of the NZ Media Council who was not involved in any way in the story but who is employed by the publisher may participate in the discussion but will not vote on the complaint.  If such a member had any involvement in the story or with the complaint before it reached the NZ Media Council, the member will not participate in the discussion or vote.

Yes, you do. You need to complain in writing to the editor concerned (not the reporter). This is because it allows the editor the opportunity to resolve the complaint directly with you, which will provide a quicker resolution that the complaints process.

You should head your complaint “Formal Complaint. Not for Publication”. It can be helpful to outline what you see as a suitable resolution.

If you are not satisfied with the response from the editor you amy then bring the complaint to the Media Council.

In exceptional circumstances the Executive Director may be able to exempt you from this first step.