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« Previous EntriesThe last word on Canadian alcohol guidelines
Tuesday, January 13th, 2026I’ve written to Dr Adam Shenk at the Canadian Centre for Substance and Addiction, which wrote the report containing new (two-drink) guidelines. He says that while Health Canada commissioned the guidelines, it has not posted them or endorsed them. He says that, while there’s no formal process for endorsing them, “the inference is that whichever […]
Talley’s defamation decision looks strange to me
Thursday, December 18th, 2025I read a lot of judgments, and particularly ones about media law. I have never felt more disconcerted than when I read this one. As you probably know, Talley’s sued TVNZ for defamation over a series of stories (and related online articles) from 2021. They mostly alleged health and safety violations. TVNZ defended it, and […]
Should I issue a correction?
Thursday, December 18th, 2025So now I’ve heard from Virginia Nicholl of the NZ Alcohol and Beverages Council. She says that the 2-drink guideline is not official Canadian government policy, and refers me to this link and Eric Crampton’s analysis here. This getting further into the weeds than I expected when I blogged about the overlap between the Media […]
Should the Media Council issue a retraction?
Wednesday, December 17th, 2025Well, this is interesting. After writing the post below, I was contacted by Andrew Galloway, the Executive Director of Alcohol Healthwatch. Guess what? He says the 2-drink guideline is in fact official Canadian policy. He refers to an email from a WHO-affiliated official who says the alcohol industry has been trying, unsuccessfully, to get the […]
Media regulation system breaking down?
Tuesday, December 16th, 2025It was bound to happen sooner or later. Complaints are being made to both the Media Council and the Broadcasting Standards Authority about basically the same stories. And they’re reaching different conclusions. How can this happen? Easily. Let’s say Radio NZ broadcasts a story or interview, then posts a text version of it, as it […]
BSA is still right
Tuesday, October 21st, 2025This is PS to the post below. I’ve now read what Judge Harvey and Liam Hehir have to say about this (and have had a chance to debate Judge Harvey on The Platform). I have to accept that the issue is not as clear-cut as I’ve suggested. But neither is it as clear-cut as they […]
The Broadcasting Standards Authority is right
Thursday, October 16th, 2025The BSA has agreed to consider a complaint against internet-based radio station The Platform. This has triggered a cascade of tizzies from Sean Plunket, Winston Peters, David Seymour, the Free Speech Union, David Farrar, and others. Plunket called the complainant an ignorant “plonker”. Peters accused the BSA of “acting like some Soviet era Stasi”. Farrar […]
Is the BSA rejecting too many complaints?
Friday, January 31st, 2025Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the Bill of Rights. (I might […]
Who’s defaming you?
Wednesday, January 29th, 2025Someone defames you anonymously online. Can you find out who it is? Maybe. There are legal avenues to seek a court order that an internet host reveal the identity of the person. One of them is called a Norwich Pharmacal order, but as Hugh Tomlinson KC points out, it only applies when the host is […]
Defamation damages too…
Friday, January 24th, 2025A couple of recent cases suggest that the courts are awarding significant sums for defamation even where the publication is very small. This is despite the new rule that says plaintiffs, if challenged, have to show that the publication they are complaining about has caused them “more then minor harm.” When publication is limited to […]
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