The Samoan government has welcomed a ruling by the New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority, which found that Television New Zealand breached standard broadcasting laws in a news item suggesting the widespread presence of gangs, drugs and gun smuggling in Samoa.
The complaint was lodged by the Samoan government last April when it claimed that the item tarnished the country's image and would dissuade tourists from visiting.
In its ruling, the BSA says the report by Barbara Dreaver presented only one perspective and viewers needed information about the gravity of the problem in a wider context and from other perspectives.
TVNZ has been ordered to make a public statement, pay costs to the Samoa government and the Crown.
Samoa's prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, says he sees the ruling not so much a victory for his government but a victory for responsible and substantive reporting.
