O. Hasaniah
Address Not Provided
Via email: <[FYI request #26668 email]>
30 May 2024
Dear O. Hasaniah
Official Information Act request dated 8 May 2024
We refer to your email dated 8 May 2024 (your Request) requesting information under
the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) in relation to Q+A’s 21 April 2024 interview
with the Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand. TVNZ’s Response is set out below.
Request 1: Please provide information on the initiation of the interview. Was the idea
proposed by Q&A, TVNZ, Jack Tame or one of the Q&A producers, the Israeli
ambassador or his representatives, or an external third party? If an external third
party, please provide the name of the third party/organisation. If the external third
party is an individual who you cannot name, please name the organisation they
represent or are affiliated with.
Response 1: The interview was initiated by Q+A.
Request 2: Regarding the planning/proposal/initiation of this interview, please provide
all internal and external communications/records between TVNZ (including but not
limited to TVNZ's employees, contractors, advisors, management or leadership) and
the Israeli ambassador or his relevant representatives, and any involved third party.
Please include emails, systems records, file notes, text messages, meeting agenda,
meeting minutes, physical documents, memos, Microsoft Teams chat and any other
form of digital or physical communication, as well as anything else of relevance not
mentioned here.
Response 2: Information responsive to this request is attached.
Request 3: Please provide the sources Jack Tame’s questions and comments were
based on in the interview. Specifically, the noted and repeated death tolls.
Response 3: Source information is gathered in accordance with the News and Current
Affairs Handbook. Specific details as to source information with respect to this
interview have been withheld on the following grounds:
• Section 9(2)(b) of the Act: to protect information where the making available
of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial
position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information;
• Section 9(2)(g) of the Act: to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs
through the free and frank expression of opinions by members of an
organisation in the course of their duty; and
• Section 9(2)(i) of the Act: to enable TVNZ to carry out, without prejudice or
disadvantage, commercial activities.
For context, please note that in order to operate free of influence and without fear or
favour, TVNZ treats its internal news and current affairs operations (including the
collection of source and source information for current affairs segments) as
commercial y sensitive; release of information about how we produce our news and
current affairs content would put us at strategic disadvantage to our competitors in
the media industry, would mean we could not carry out free and frank editorial
discussions, and would mean we could not produce news and current affairs content
without disadvantage.
Request 4: Are there any relationships between anyone at TVNZ (including, but not
limited to employees, contractors, executives) and the Israeli ambassador, his
representatives, or any third party that should be disclosed that may be of interest to
the general public, as they may compromise journalistic integrity?
Response 4: Section 18(e) of the Act applies to this request; the information does not
exist. To be clear, the answer is no.
Request 5: If there was any expression of concern regarding potential infringement of
any of the BSA principles from anyone within TVNZ, including employees and
contractors, in the pre-production/planning phase of this interview, please provide
any communications, including meeting minutes, in which this was discussed.
Response 5: Section 18(e) of the Act applies to this request; the information does not
exist. (Again, the answer is no).
Request 5: If legal advice was sought in the pre-production/planning phase of this
interview by TVNZ, Q&A, or any related staff, including contractors, please provide all
relevant communications and contracts.
Response 5: If legal advice had been sought, then it would be withheld on the basis of
section 9(2)(h) of the Act: to protect legal professional privilege.
We trust this information assists. As you may know, if you are dissatisfied with this
response section 28 of the Act provides you with the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman in order to seek an investigation and review.
Yours sincerely,
Official Information Requests Team
TVNZ
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