What does the Broadcasting Standards Authority do?

The Broadcasting Standards Authority handles public complaints and enforces broadcasting standards covering fairness, accuracy, balance and harmful content.

Why are people opposing plans to scrap the BSA?

Critics argue removing the BSA would weaken accountability in broadcasting and increase misinformation, extremism and public distrust in media.

What alternative media system has been proposed?

Supporters of reform point to models in Australia and the UK that combine industry self-regulation with strong statutory oversight.

Why is media trust important in a democracy?

A functioning democracy relies on trusted journalism to inform the public, scrutinise power and counter misinformation and propaganda.

Why Scrapping the BSA Could Damage NZ Democracy

At a moment when misinformation, conspiracy culture and algorithm-driven outrage are already poisoning public debate, critics are warning that scrapping the Broadcasting Standards Authority could further erode trust in journalism and accelerate the collapse of democratic accountability in New Zealand.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) is the only real protection New Zealand has against lies, abuse or misinformation in broadcasting. Since 1989, it has done an excellent job supporting our television and radio broadcasters to be responsible by providing an avenue for complaints from the public. The BSA upholds standards which all broadcasters must meet. These cover offensive and disturbing content, the interests of children, promotion of illegal or antisocial behaviour, discrimination and denigration, balance, accuracy, privacy, and fairness.

Scrapping the BSA will cause untold harm to our media, democracy and society. Trust in media will decline further and our democracy will suffer as our fourth estate is eroded even more.

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Responsible, trustworthy media is the backbone of a functioning democracy. It is crucial at all times and especially in an election year.

New Zealand’s media laws need reform — not demolition

Everyone would agree that the regulatory frameworks for New Zealand’s media system need to be updated. We have a ‘patchwork quilt’ of regulation which is full of digital holes. But supposedly leveling the playing field by removing enforceable standards is politically irresponsible.

In 2023 the Department of Internal Affairs conducted an incredibly thorough research project and consultation with industry and stakeholders called “Safer Online Services”. That recommended a system similar to Australia and the UK with elements of industry self-regulation backed up by a strong statutory authority, much like the BSA. In 2024, it was ready to go but then Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden decided to scrap it. Now, the Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith proposes a weaker system that removes the statutory backstop and replaces the BSA with media self-regulation. Goldsmith’s plan would have no ‘teeth’ and as a result standards will slide.

The fear is a slide towards American-style media chaos

Better Public Media Trust is deeply concerned by the proposals. Removing protections on what our media can say will mean that Aotearoa New Zealand will follow the United States’ example where irresponsible media loudmouths like Alan Jones are allowed to make all sorts of outrageous claims that drive engagement but destroy democracy and reasonable, rational commentary. Goldsmith’s plan will have the same effect here, encouraging extremist content across radio, television and online. The public and the government will be powerless to stop it.

Please take action now

Better Public Media Trust asks all New Zealanders to stand up against this proposal. Please write to your MP, write to your newspaper, sign the online petition and talk about it with your family and friends. It is vital to the future of our nation that this proposal never becomes law.

Further perspectives you may not have stumbled across:

E-Tangata – Who benefits if the BSA is scrapped?
Newstalk ZB – Heather du Plessis-Allan: The BSA sealed its own fate
Stuff – Racism, rudeness and nudity: What Kiwis took offence at, and complained to the BSA about
Critic – Editorial: Stop Being Mean To The BSA

And here’s some links to Better Public Media Trustees speaking on the subject:

RNZ – Scrapping Broadcasting Standards Authority will hit standards, experts say
Newsroom – Without BSA, ‘people will be able to say anything about anything’
TVNZ Breakfast – Interview with Ursula Cheer at 1:40:41
BFM – The Problem with Scrapping the BSA
We also did a couple of interviews on the Platform which only serve to show how biased, ignorant and uninformative unregulated media is.

Meanwhile Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour made deeply concerning comments implying that he would seek to get John Campbell removed from RNZ’s ‘Morning Report’ through political appointments to the RNZ board. BPM’s response is well explained in this article:

Newsroom – Hold my beer… Seymour takes a wild swing at public media

That follows a sequence of attacks on TVNZ and its political editor Maiki Sherman.

First, government ministers Mark Mitchell and Paul Goldsmith both released videos criticising TVNZ’s editorial decisions. In doing so they very likely breached section 28 of the Television New Zealand Act which prohibits Ministers from seeking to “give a direction to TVNZ… in respect of any programme”.

Then another government minister, Simeon Brown accused Maiki Sherman of “aggressively” pursuing the government’s chief whip, Simon Smith who had scurried into an office to avoid reporters after a no-confidence vote on PM Christopher Luxon. The allegations were disputed by Sherman but Parliament’s Speaker, Gerry Brownlee suspended her from Parliament for five days.

Then right-leaning political commentator Ani O’Brien revealed that Sherman made a homophobic comment to Lloyd Burr during an argument at press gallery drinks a year earlier. Maiki Sherman explained that she was responding to “deeply personal and inappropriate remarks made to her” as she resigned,

It all suggests that attacking the media is an early election strategy for the government coalition parties.

Right-wing politicians around the world have done the same including Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Nigel Farage in the UK and Donald Trump in the US. They wouldn’t bother if it wasn’t a successful strategy but it also decreases trust in media. Ironically TVNZ’s shareholding minister, Paul Goldsmith last year officially required TVNZ to strengthen public trust in TVNZ, yet he and his colleagues repeatedly attack TVNZ encouraging people to trust it less.