DAMON MATHER AGAINST STUFF
Case Number: 3560
Council Meeting: 21 October 2024
Decision: No Grounds to Proceed
Publication: Stuff
Principle:
Accuracy, Fairness and Balance
Privacy
Comment and Fact
Headlines and Captions
Confidentiality
Photographs and Graphics
Ruling Categories:
- Stuff published an article on the 17 September 2024, headlined Landlord can’t remove tenant despite being inundated with aggressive emails.
- This was a report summarising key points of a Tenancy Tribunal ruling.
- Damon Mather complained the story about the hearing of a dispute he had with his landlord was biased as it made him out to be the problem. He also complained that he and his partner were named, that their address were published without permission and that this would make it difficult to find another rental.
- In response Stuff said its reporting was fair, accurate and balanced, on the basis of the Tenancy Tribunal decision. This decision was in the public domain, and they were entitled to rely on it.
- It reported both sides of the case and no mention was made of an application for name suppression.
- Parties at the tribunal are able to apply for name suppression, but the decision makes no mention of an application being made.
- Stuff said it stood by this public interest reporting.
- The NZ Media Council has some sympathy for Mr Mather’s plight as he attempts to find a new place to live. But this article was a straightforward report based on a Tenancy Tribunal decision. Like many other legal judgments, it was a public document.
- The NZ Media Council did not believe a case was made to show how the reporting was biased. Stuff’s invitation to correct any errors was not taken up. The NZ Media Council notes that while the article included a photo of the rental property, the address was not mentioned.
- There were no grounds to proceed.