Mōrena Liam

This email acknowledges receipt of your OIA request below.

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

Please note that the Ombudsman holidays (25 December to 15 January) mean that the due date for this request is 20 January 2025. More information can be found on the Ombudsman's website at https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/news....

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact Ministerial Services at [Ministry for Culture and Heritage request email]. If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be considered.

Ngā mihi nui

Reb Bonner
Pou Tohu Matua | Senior Adviser Parliamentary & Ministerial Engagement
Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage

-----Original Message-----
From: Liam Hehir <[FOI #29396 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 30 November 2024 10:20 pm
To: OIA <[Ministry for Culture and Heritage request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Request for Official Information Relating to Deactivation of @NZHistory Twitter Account

Tēnā koe,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information regarding the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory Twitter account:

1. Any internal communications, including emails, memos, or meeting notes, assessing the value of the @NZHistory Twitter account’s 11,000 followers as a public engagement and goodwill asset.

2. Any risk assessments or discussions regarding the potential loss of goodwill, audience reach, or public trust caused by the deactivation of the @NZHistory Twitter account.

3. Any communications referencing Elon Musk or his ownership and management of Twitter/X in relation to the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory account.

4. Any communications or discussions referencing the U.S. Presidential Election or concerns about misinformation, polarization, or hate speech on Twitter/X as factors influencing the deactivation decision.

5. Any policies, guidelines, or strategies discussing how the Ministry ensures neutrality and inclusivity across social media platforms, including Twitter/X.

6. Any internal communications, staff surveys, or meeting notes referencing staff concerns, stress, or emotional well-being as a reason for discontinuing use of Twitter/X, including any staff requests or demands for deplatforming due to perceived harm caused by the platform.

7. Any evaluations, analyses, or advice comparing Twitter/X’s effectiveness with other platforms for reaching the @NZHistory audience, including metrics like engagement levels and demographic reach.

8. Any communications referencing the decision’s potential to create public or political backlash, including concerns about perceived political or ideological bias.

9. Any media or public relations strategies prepared to address criticism or public questioning of the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory account.

10. Any specific mention of efforts to retain the account’s 11,000 followers through migration strategies or alternative engagement methods on other platforms.

Please provide this information electronically in its original format wherever possible. If any parts of the request are refused, I ask that you provide the grounds for refusal as required under section 19 of the Act.

If clarifications are needed to process this request, please let me know as soon as possible. I look forward to your response within the statutory 20 working days.

Liam Hehir

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This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #29396 email]

Is [Ministry for Culture and Heritage request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Ministry for Culture and Heritage? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

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Kia ora

We are reaching out to see if we can refine your request.

For context, our Communications team (responsible for our social media) provided our leadership with advice on deactivation of this account. This included the rationale for the decision. We believe this is likely the type of information you are interested in. Considering these documents for release (with any applicable redactions as permitted under the OIA), rather than having to undertake a wide ranging document search (including email correspondence) would be much more efficient and result in a faster response. This does not imply that there is a large amount of relevant material, rather that we would have to search through a large amount of material to be find any relevant material.

In short: Would you accept refining your request to the following:

All advice provided to leadership regarding the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory Twitter account.

If, following a response you still have outstanding questions, then you would obviously be free to get in touch.

We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible so we can continue work on your request.

Ngā mihi nui
Te Pae Ratonga Pāremata | Parliamentary & Ministerial Engagement
Manatū Taonga | Ministry for Culture & Heritage
Ki te puāwai te ahurea, Ka ora te iwi
Culture is thriving, The people are well
Public Trust Building, 131 Lambton Quay, Wellington
PO Box 5364, Wellington 6140 | Ph +64 4 499 4229

-----Original Message-----
From: Liam Hehir <[FOI #29396 email]>
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2024 10:20 PM
To: OIA <[Ministry for Culture and Heritage request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Request for Official Information Relating to Deactivation of @NZHistory Twitter Account

Tēnā koe,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information regarding the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory Twitter account:

1. Any internal communications, including emails, memos, or meeting notes, assessing the value of the @NZHistory Twitter account’s 11,000 followers as a public engagement and goodwill asset.

2. Any risk assessments or discussions regarding the potential loss of goodwill, audience reach, or public trust caused by the deactivation of the @NZHistory Twitter account.

3. Any communications referencing Elon Musk or his ownership and management of Twitter/X in relation to the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory account.

4. Any communications or discussions referencing the U.S. Presidential Election or concerns about misinformation, polarization, or hate speech on Twitter/X as factors influencing the deactivation decision.

5. Any policies, guidelines, or strategies discussing how the Ministry ensures neutrality and inclusivity across social media platforms, including Twitter/X.

6. Any internal communications, staff surveys, or meeting notes referencing staff concerns, stress, or emotional well-being as a reason for discontinuing use of Twitter/X, including any staff requests or demands for deplatforming due to perceived harm caused by the platform.

7. Any evaluations, analyses, or advice comparing Twitter/X’s effectiveness with other platforms for reaching the @NZHistory audience, including metrics like engagement levels and demographic reach.

8. Any communications referencing the decision’s potential to create public or political backlash, including concerns about perceived political or ideological bias.

9. Any media or public relations strategies prepared to address criticism or public questioning of the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory account.

10. Any specific mention of efforts to retain the account’s 11,000 followers through migration strategies or alternative engagement methods on other platforms.

Please provide this information electronically in its original format wherever possible. If any parts of the request are refused, I ask that you provide the grounds for refusal as required under section 19 of the Act.

If clarifications are needed to process this request, please let me know as soon as possible. I look forward to your response within the statutory 20 working days.

Liam Hehir

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #29396 email]

Is [Ministry for Culture and Heritage request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Ministry for Culture and Heritage? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Liam

Please find attached a response to your request and associated documents. Please let us know if you have further questions

Ngā mihi nui
Te Pae Ratonga Pāremata | Parliamentary & Ministerial Engagement Manatū Taonga | Ministry for Culture & Heritage Ki te puāwai te ahurea, Ka ora te iwi Culture is thriving, The people are well Public Trust Building, 131 Lambton Quay, Wellington PO Box 5364, Wellington 6140 | Ph +64 4 499 4229

-----Original Message-----
From: Liam Hehir <[FOI #29396 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 2:45 PM
To: OIA <[Ministry for Culture and Heritage request email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Request for Official Information Relating to Deactivation of @NZHistory Twitter Account

Kia ora,

Thank you for your email and for suggesting a refinement to my OIA request. I appreciate the Ministry’s efforts to streamline the process and ensure an efficient response.

I propose the following refined scope:

1. All formal advice and supporting documentation provided to leadership regarding the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory Twitter account. For the purposes of this request, “leadership” refers to the senior management team or any individuals or groups who had the authority to make or approve the final decision.

2. Any internal risk assessments or analyses prepared by the Communications team or other staff that discuss the impact of deactivating the @NZHistory Twitter account (e.g., loss of audience reach, goodwill, or public trust).

3. Any communications or documentation to or from any person with authority over the @NZHistory Twitter/X account referencing, in relation to the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory account:

a. Elon Musk or his management of Twitter/X; or

b. the U.S. Presidential Election or related concerns about misinformation, polarization, or hate speech,

I reserve the right to seek further official information if the refinement results in the exclusion of relevant information germane to my request as originally formulated. For example, if political disagreements with Elon Musk were a factor in considering the deactivation of the account at any point, I would expect those communications to be included in the information released unless a lawful exception under the Official Information Act applies.

The reason my original request was so detailed was to ensure that all important information was captured and not accidentally excluded.

I trust this refined request strikes a balance between efficiency and preserving the intent of the inquiry.

Please let me know if this refined scope is acceptable or if further adjustments are required.

Ngā mihi nui,
Liam Hehir

-----Original Message-----

Kia ora

We are reaching out to see if we can refine your request.

For context, our Communications team (responsible for our social media) provided our leadership with advice on deactivation of this account. This included the rationale for the decision. We believe this is likely the type of information you are interested in. Considering these documents for release (with any applicable redactions as permitted under the OIA), rather than having to undertake a wide ranging document search (including email correspondence) would be much more efficient and result in a faster response. This does not imply that there is a large amount of relevant material, rather that we would have to search through a large amount of material to be find any relevant material.

In short: Would you accept refining your request to the following:

All advice provided to leadership regarding the decision to deactivate the @NZHistory Twitter account.

If, following a response you still have outstanding questions, then you would obviously be free to get in touch.

We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible so we can continue work on your request.

Ngā mihi nui
Te Pae Ratonga Pāremata | Parliamentary & Ministerial Engagement Manatū Taonga | Ministry for Culture & Heritage Ki te puāwai te ahurea, Ka ora te iwi Culture is thriving, The people are well Public Trust Building, 131 Lambton Quay, Wellington PO Box 5364, Wellington 6140 | Ph +64 4 499 4229

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #29396 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

hide quoted sections