12 Jun 2023

RNZ board chair says trust eroded over pro-Russian edits

From Checkpoint, 6:07 pm on 12 June 2023

RNZ's board chair Jim Mather says its currency is trust and his primary concern is that it's being eroded.

The broadcaster is dealing with the fallout from a web journalist inserting pro russian propaganda into international stories published by the news organisation.

RNZ has stood down the journalist and since friday has reviewed 300 of his stories.

16 have had to be corrected Checkpoint has spoken to the journalist who altered the stories and he claims he's been doing it for five years and nobody has tapped him on the shoulder to say he has done anything wrong.

Those claims have not yet been verified by the staff member's managers.

RNZ has conceded shortcoming in its editorial policies for publishing internet stories says there will be an external review.

RNZ board chair Jim Mather spoke to Lisa Owen.