I’ve just accused (below) the Advertising Standards Authority of copping out by refusing to uphold a complaint by finding that an assertion of fact is a statement of opinion. I think the BSA sometimes does the same thing. But at
Steven Price
Steven Price is a publisher known for detailed analysis and commentary on media law, defamation, and regulatory issues related to broadcasting and journalism. The content often explores legal decisions, media council rulings, and the interplay between media standards and public interest. Posts typically examine case law, regulatory frameworks, and controversies involving media accuracy, corrections, and complaints. The publisher provides insights into the responsibilities of media organizations, the legal defenses available in defamation cases, and the challenges in media regulation, especially concerning new media platforms and broadcasting standards.
ASA cops out again
By Steven
Looks like the Advertising Standards Authority is doing its usual thing in letting political parties get away with blatantly misleading ads by pretending that they are opinions. It’s a bit difficult to tell, because the ASA’s website’s new display…
De-Platformed
By Steven
The BSA has upheld the complaint against Sean Plunket’s internet broadcasting outfit, The Platform. (Of course, the bigger issue here is whether they had jurisdiction at all, but I’ve covered that elsewhere).
I had confidently predicted they wouldn’t uphold the…
Is the Media Council’s legal waiver requirement lawful?
By Steven
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BSA PS
By Steven
Just a reminder of what’s at stake here. As I wrote earlier this year:
If The Platform and any other internet-based TV or radio platform are not subject to the Broadcasting Act, then they are not subject to broadcasting standards,…
BSA to go
By Steven
So the government has decided to abolish the BSA. Various people are crowing about it. They are pointing to the BSA’s decision to hear a complaint against internet broadcaster The Platform. ACT says this was an attempt to “police the…
Attempt to de-Platform the BSA fails
By Steven
The BSA has ruled that it has jurisdiction to receive complaints against the online media company, The Platform. “Using an unduly technical interpretation to exclude online broadcasters would create a significant gap in the protections available to New Zealanders”,…
Batchelor losing party
By Steven
Julian Batchelor has lost his defamation lawsuit against TVNZ and former Disinformation Project director of research Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa. They’d accused him in an online article of racist rhetoric, inciting hate and real-world harm.
Batchelor says this struck at his…
Talley’s source of contention
By Steven
An overlooked part of Talley’s Group’s defamation case against TVNZ is its attempt to get TVNZ to disclose its confidential sources. It applied to court to make TVNZ give them up.
This was a real test of our journalist source…
A note about data breaches
By Steven
It’s becoming a regular thing to see hackers get hold of reams of private data and threaten to leak it. (See recently: Manage My Health and Neighbourly leaks. And in recent years: Commerce Commission and Te Whata Ora.)
Courts readily…