Press Gallery Calls on Speaker to Reconsider Herald Decision

The decision of the Speaker of the House to suspend the accreditations of the New Zealand Herald’s full and associate members is extraordinary and sets an extremely concerning precedent.

The chairwoman of the Press Gallery, Jane Patterson, says reporters are individually accredited and take responsibility for their own actions, but to suspend a whole office on the basis of one person’s actions is unfair and disproportionate.

She says this also has the effect of banning an entire news organisation from Parliament in the lead-up to a general election, depriving the Herald’s readership of political coverage before the November election, a clear disruption of the media’s critical role in the democratic process.

Ms Patterson says the Press Gallery is calling on the Speaker to reconsider the decision to suspend all of the Herald’s accreditations and apply the sanction in a fairer way.

ENDS

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