CHRIS RIGBY AGAINST STUFF

Chris Rigby complained about the headline on a story published on Stuff on May 17, 2021 which read Economy would make a $1.5 billion jump, if men did more at home.

The story was based on a report of data from a nationwide survey of 2400 people which found women were doing more than their fair share of unpaid work at home and that this represented a $1.5 billion a year drag on the economy.

Mr Rigby said the headline breached Media Council Principle 7 (discrimination and diversity) which says: Issues of gender, religion, minority groups, sexual orientation, age, race colour or physical or mental disability are legitimate subjects for discussion where they are relevant and in the public interest and publication may report and express opinions in these areas. Publications should not, however, place gratuitous emphasis on any such category in their reporting.

He asked that Stuff should refrain from publishing headlines “openly attacking men in ways it would not do so for any other group.”

Stuff chief news director – business, Roeland van den Bergh, said the headline accurately reflected a key point of the report. It was not bigoted or discriminatory and did not breach Principle 7.

There is nothing to suggest the headline was inappropriate or gratuitous.  It was supported by the content of the article that followed, and did not infringe either the discrimination or the headline principles.  While some might disagree with the inferences taken from the research, this was a legitimate summary of the material being reported.

There are insufficient grounds to proceed.