Media Council partially upholds complaints from Mr Justin Wright of Arrowtown
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The New Zealand Media Council has upheld a complaint from Justin Wright against Crux News, finding breaches of key journalistic principles in a series of articles published during the 2025 local body elections. The ruling highlights failures to distinguish fact from opinion and ensure fairness and balance.
Mr Wright’s complaint focused on six articles covering Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) issues, including CEO recruitment and water services governance. He alleged that Crux News blurred the line between news and commentary, published unchecked claims, and omitted responses from those criticised. Headlines included Lewers launched recruitment process before telling councillors that Theelen had resigned and Auditor General: Up to QLDC to manage any actual or perceived Lisa Guy conflicts of interest.
Crux News considered Mr Wright’s complaint as ‘scattergun’ and lacking in specifics except for broad claims of bias. Generally, Crux said it stands by its coverage and considers it has respected all Media Council principles. It considers the complaint is politically motivated in both structure and substantial content.
The Media Council upheld complaints against four articles for breaching Principle (4) Comment and Fact, which requires a clear distinction between factual reporting and opinion. These four pieces were ambiguously presented or presented as news while containing subjective commentary and speculative statements. For example, the September 22 article described a “secretive recruitment process” as fact rather than attributing it to a source, while the October 3 article speculated about future conflicts despite reporting the Auditor General’s finding of no pecuniary interest.
The September 28 article, authored by councillor and election candidate Niki Gladding, was also criticised for being published as an “article” without clear opinion labelling or balancing comment from other candidates. The Council decided that giving an unchecked platform to a candidate during an election was “clearly unfair.”
The October 1 article, republished from a community group, was found to breach both Principle (4) and Principle (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance. It was not labelled opinion and made claims about named individuals without offering them a chance to respond and included bold introductory text from Crux accusing councillors of “dirty politics.”
While the Council did not uphold complaints about two other articles, it noted that although labelled “analysis” they were on the borderline of what could be considered option. The Council also noted that Crux News should improve clarity in labelling opinion pieces, using “Opinion” rather than “Analysis” where appropriate. It also rejected claims relating to headlines, discrimination, and conflicts of interest.
The ruling underscores the importance of editorial transparency and balance, particularly during election campaigns. The Council concluded that Crux News failed to meet these standards in several instances, compromising fairness and accuracy.
The full Media Council ruling can be found Media Council - Justin Wright against Crux News
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