Free Speech Union Welcomes NZME Board Refresh, A Hopeful Sign For Media Balance

The announcement of NZME’s board refresh signals hope for a return to more balanced reporting of news, which is an essential component of a healthy democracy. The Free Speech Union was pleased to play an advocacy role in this, says Nick Hanne of the Free Speech Union.

“Last year, the Free Speech Union urged supporters concerned about free and open discourse to get enough NZME shares to gain voting rights. FSU CEO Jonathan Ayling encouraged experienced people to put themselves forward for NZME board positions.

“The Free Speech Union has repeatedly called on NZME to stop censoring those views which appear to be offensive to certain staff and their stifling need to be ‘politically correct’. The FSU also arranged meetings with the Managing Director and the Senior Editor, urging a restoration of the fundamental balance needed for the NZ Herald to stay a newspaper of record.

“We reminded them of how the Commerce Commission turned down their merger with Stuff, because the loss of media pluralism would be so damaging to democracy. We welcome the appointments of Steven Joyce and Jim Grenon on the NZME board and believe they’ll play a crucial role in fixing this.

“Mr Grenon has weathered a lot of unjust criticism in pursuing this “audacious” outcome. But his principled determination to defend broad viewpoint representation will help reestablish the centrality of free speech in our democracy.

“The media plays a crucial role in Kiwis’ ability to seek, receive, and impart information, so it’s essential that they platform multiple viewpoints on issues of public interest. This change promises a return to more factual reporting if the Board can restore the traditional journalistic ethics of the fourth estate.

“Kiwis deserve news which offers coverage rather than censorship.”

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