CYF Broadcasting Complaint Supported

The PSA supports any action taken by Child Youth and Family to lay a complaint with the Broadcasting Authority against TV3 for a biased report on individual cases involving children, PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said today.

“The PSA on behalf of its CYF members supports the department’s decision to lay a complaint against TV3 for its item on last Sunday’s current affairs programme 20/20. Any viewer wanting to hear CYF present its side of the story waited in vain. The content of the item in no shape or form demonstrated balanced journalism.”

Richard Wagstaff said it seemed that in relation to the media CYF social workers were in a lose-lose situation.

“Our members are criticised for decisions made where children are allowed to remain with their family, then they are criticised for decisions where children are removed from their family. We wonder in whose interest it is that the media seem to continually attempt to undermine the public’s confidence in our statutory child protection agency - certainly not in the child’s.”

Richard Wagstaff said CYF dealt with thousands of cases of alleged child abuse every year. It is not an easy job and in many cases requires the gift of hindsight before a decision is made – which is of course impossible.

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