MEDIAWATCH: What should replace BSA if Goldsmith kills it?
The Broadcasting Standards Authority debate has suddenly become a live political fight. If the Government scraps it, the real question isn’t what disappears — it’s what replaces it, and whether New Zealand’s media standards survive the transition.
The Government has today given the biggest indication yet that it will scrap New Zealand’s 37-year-old broadcasting watchdog.
So what happens if the BSA is scrapped?
The Broadcasting Standards Authority has forced the Government’s hand with its recent controversial decision to claim jurisdiction over Sean Plunket’s The Platform website.
This is too important an issue to be reduced to Paul Goldsmith’s politics.
We now live in a media landscape polluted by misinformation and disinformation driven by social media hate algorithms.
A democracy is only as strong as its citizens awareness.
If you have citizens fed hateful bullshit, your democracy becomes hateful bullshit.
Right now we need more regulation of journalistic standards, not less!
What real media standards should actually look like
The BSA should be reformed to enhance journalistic standards.
- Whistleblower protections
- Journalistic privilege as a legal right
- Right of reply
- Accurate quotes
- Independence
- Verification and evidence
- Minimising harm of individuals
- Protection of sources
- No fabrication or plagiarism
- Clear separation of news, opinion and advertising
- Protection of free speech
These are what the BSA should be looking at and demanding from our Fourth Estate.
There are limitations to the BSA because it was written decades ago, I’m not opposed to folding it into the Media Council but that requires a new set of rules with the focus on demanding the highest standards of Fourth Estate Journalism.
That’s not what the Right want.
The Right want an environment with no rules so that their hate messaging can rule the roost.
That’s why the Right are attacking the BSA, not to promote strong standards for journalism, but to remove any regulations so that their racist, homophobic, gleefully ignorant commentary can gain cultural acceptance.
This is far too important an issue to be left in Paul Goldsmith’s hands.
Why would this corrupt, devious CoC even think of replacing the BSA? clearly it is easier to scrap the inept, dumb-ass, Goldsmith! What a lily livered bunch we have in govt at present – sure can’t get any worse!!!