Independent Review of the NZ Press Council

13 March 2007

Media Release

Independent Review of the New Zealand Press Council

The New Zealand Press Council is to be reviewed by an independent panel including Sir Ian Barker Q.C. of Auckland and Professor Lewis Evans of Victoria University, Wellington.

The review was announced today by the Independent Chairman of the Press Council, Hon Barry Paterson.

The Press Council is a self-regulatory body, established in 1974 by the newspaper industry to provide a complaints service for readers.

“The council has operated in New Zealand very successfully since its establishment, but there has never been a review of its purpose and activities and it is time to check that it is still meeting the needs of readers in ensuring high standards of journalism within the print media. I am delighted that we have secured the services of such a high calibre panel with Sir Ian and Professor Evans,” said Mr Paterson.

The aims of the review are

(a) to review the purposes, activities, performance, governance and resourcing of the NZ Press Council
(b)
(c) to consider whether the Council’s objectives are adequate in the light of changing circumstances and public perceptions and whether the Council is operating in a manner consistent with them

(d) to assess the range and scope of the Council’s activities when compared with the operations of similar bodies in other countries

The full terms of reference for the review and background of the review panel are attached.

The review is being funded by the constituent parties to the Council, the Newspaper Publishers’ Association (NPA), the New Zealand Amalgamated Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and the Magazine Publishers’ Association (MPA).

The review panel will be seeking submissions from many specific organisations and individuals and the opportunity will be provided for any person or organisation who has an interest to make submissions. The review panel encourages any person who has the inclination to express their view to do so, and it has provided mechanisms for this on the review’s website.

Further information on the review can be obtained on www.presscouncilreview.org.nz and information relating to the current work of the Press Council is available on www.presscouncil.org.nz.

Photographs of the review panel are available free from www.nzpaimages.co.nz.

ENDS

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