Media responsibility in New Zealand
Media responsibility means media outlets must own up to and be answerable for what they broadcast or publish. In New Zealand, laws guide what can be shown or printed to protect people and society, with extra rules for content aimed at children and young people.
If you think something published or broadcast breaks the rules, you can complain. Different groups handle different kinds of complaints:
- TV and radio programs, and privacy breaches: Broadcasting Standards Authority
- Movies, films, videos and literature: Office of Film and Literature Classification
- Newspaper articles (not ads): New Zealand Media Council
- All advertising: Advertising Standards Authority (for any medium)
- Any human rights issues: Human Rights Commission (they look at discrimination or bias in media)
Discrimination can involve race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and more.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:34 (CET).