Media Releases
RNZ releases first independent content assessment
Released at 12:17 pm on 14 March 2025
RNZ has released an external assessment of its coverage and handling of complaints relating to Israel/Palestine issues since the start of the most recent conflict until July 2024.
It is the first of what will be annual assessments of aspects of RNZ’s coverage. RNZ committed to regularly assessing aspects of its editorial output against its policy following the 2023 Independent External Review Panel findings.
RNZ Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief Paul Thompson said it was also committing to making these assessments publicly available.
“We want everyone to understand the steps we are taking as a public media organisation to ensure our work is always underpinned by fairness, accuracy, independence, respect, decency and diversity. This is a continuous process of improvement and review, and independent audits such as these allow for objective assessments of our work.”
The assessment, undertaken by former RNZ editorial policy manager and communications consultant Colin Feslier, reviewed content and all complaints made to RNZ since the attack by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on October 7 2023 and the subsequent Israel military actions in Gaza and other areas.
Overall, the assessment found RNZ was acting within its own policy, the Media Council Principles and the standards administered by the Broadcasting Authority. It made recommendations for RNZ to further strengthen procedures and policies that build its reputation for accuracy, fairness and balance and allows it to do better than ‘not breaching standards’.
RNZ Director of Editorial Quality and Training Jane Patterson said the assessment contained useful guidance on how to approach complex historic and highly sensitive issues.
“This assessment is already being incorporated into our training and the reporting guidance we give to our kaimahi to make sure we are treating these types of issues with great care and upholding the highest standards. It also challenges us to do more to explain the decision-making processes and to be open and non-defensive in the way we respond to complaints.
“There is merit in being more transparent and outlining the principles that guide our mahi.”
The assessment and RNZ’s response have been shared directly with the New Zealand Jewish Council and Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa and can be found here: www.rnz.co.nz/editorialreviews
RNZ’s next assessment will look at the range and diversity of the sources used by RNZ.
ENDS
