Eli Templeton
By email:
[FYI request #24091 email]
9 October 2023
Dear Eli Templeton
Official Information Act request dated 11 September 2023
We refer to your email dated 11 September 2023 requesting information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) about TVNZ’s checking and verification for its
news programmes. Your request contained five queries, which are addressed below.
1.
What checks exist to prevent unauthorised or unchecked editing by a single lone
wolf journalist?
TVNZ’s editorial systems require the intervention of at least two employees
before stories can be published or broadcast.
However, no system is foolproof. Every time a piece of content is made available
to viewers, there is one person responsible for taking the final step in making the
content available. A rogue employee with the final responsibility to upload content
(be it digital or broadcast) may still subvert the process and make their own
editorial decisions, or upload content that has not gone through the correct sub-
editing process. TVNZ has experienced journalists in these roles of responsibility.
The newsroom has a strong ‘refer-up’ culture where team members are highly
encouraged to raise any questions/concerns directly with NCA leadership as soon
as possible.
2.
Has TVNZ enacted any changes to the way it broadcasts and reports news in
response to the RNZ controversy?
3.
Have there been any official internal reviews carried out into TVNZ news's editorial
processes since the RNZ controversy? If so, can they please be released to the
public.
The following paragraphs respond to both requests 2 and 3.
Yes, there was an internal review.
TVNZ’s News & Current Affairs department has a syndication arrangement with
RNZ under which TVNZ licenses articles and photographs that originate from RNZ.
TVNZ was not directly affected by RNZ’s altered articles as it did not run any of
them; wire copy from wire agencies is excluded from TVNZ’s syndication
arrangement with RNZ, and any RNZ-authored articles published on TVNZ
platforms automatically expire after 30 days. However, TVNZ management felt it
was prudent to appoint its General Counsel to conduct a review into newsroom
practices, particularly as TVNZ has its own licensing arrangements with wire
agencies, to ensure that all was being done to prevent a similar situation arising
at TVNZ.
On 12 June TVNZ’s General Counsel (then Brent McAnulty) was appointed to
conduct an internal review into the editorial controls within TVNZ News and
Current Affairs.
The review found that TVNZ’s editorial systems are robust and fit for purposes. It
suggested recommendations to strengthen the good practices already
evidenced within NCA.
The additional steps the NCA team has implemented in the way it broadcasts and
reports news are:
− a second pair of eyes to review content written by senior broadcast
editors and producers; and
− a ful review with a second pair eyes of all wire copy-sourced content prior
to publication.
As at the date of your request, TVNZ was awaiting completion of an addendum
to the review. Once that is finalised, TVNZ will make the review publicly available.
4.
Can the organizational chart of how TVNZ online news is part of the wider
organization please be released? Are there any news teams excluded from being
under the management of the Head of News? for example: under a Content or a
Commercial arm (see page 19 of RNZ review)
Al news teams come under the management of the Executive Editor, News &
Current Affairs. A simplified version of the organisational chart is included below.
5.
How many ful -time staff are currently employed primarily for the purposes of
reporting and editing for TVNZ's online news website? I would like this number to
exclude managers or contributors/opinion columnists and only focus on frontline
journalists. (page 27 of RNZ review)
As at the date of your request there were 19 full-time staff employed primarily for
the purposes of reporting and editing for TVNZ’s 1News.co.nz website. There were
seven full-time staff employed primarily for the purposes of reporting and editing
for TVNZ’s Re: news. Social media and Re: staff are not included in this number.
We trust this response assists with your query. If you are dissatisfied with TVNZ’s
response to your request, section 28 of the Act sets out the circumstances under
which you may seek review or further investigation by the Ombudsman.
Yours sincerely
Official Information Requests Team
TVNZ
