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Radio New Zealand goes to “extraordinary lengths” to ensure its reporters don’t express opinions in stories, and it would be a conflict of interest for Morning Report host Sean Plunket to write a political column for Metro magazine, RNZ’s chief executive Peter Cavanagh told the Employment Relations Authority today.
Plunket took RNZ to the authority after he was refused permission to write the column, along with being refused permission to moderate two televised debates, for TVNZ and TVNZ7.
Hosting a TVNZ7 debate on internet policy and copyright issues during last year’s election coverage could have confused viewers, and RNZ needed “all hands on deck” for their own election coverage, Mr Cavanagh said.
Mr Cavanagh said there was no issue about Plunket writing a general column for the magazine on topics such as Wellington weather or his son’s soccer matches, but a political column would mean expressing views that would lessen Plunket’s perceived objectivity as host of Morning Report.
Plunket also alleged that Mr Cavanagh had failed to raise the possibility of taking part in a separate TVNZ debate, after a proposal by TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis.
RNZ’s head of news Don Rood said there was no conflict of interest if Plunket was a panelist in the debate, but moderating it was a conflict.
Plunket told the authority Mr Cavanagh had told him he was part of the broadcaster’s “brand”, as though “anything I said or did anywhere would reflect on Radio New Zealand”.
Mr Cavanagh said Mr Ellis had raised the idea but there was never a formal proposal that Plunket take part.
Plunket said he found Mr Cavanagh “menacing” and was distressed at the idea he may lose his job.
He said Mr Cavanagh later told him “you might find the offers stop coming if you don’t have the profile of Morning Report” and “if you don’t like it, get another job”.
He said Plunket and RNZ’s names were “joined at the hip”, but did not recall referring to him as part of RNZ’s brand.
Mr Cavanagh told the authority that “perhaps out of frustration I may have reminded him there are other employers out there”.
Plunket said he believed he was being treated differently to other RNZ reporters and presenters, who were given permission to do similar secondary work.
After the meeting, Plunket received a letter at home by registered post telling him if he took up the Metro position, he would face disciplinary action.
But RNZ said Hill and Laidlaw were entertainment presenters, whereas Plunket was a news presenter, so there were different ethical responsibilities in their roles.
RNZ journalists Chris Laidlaw, Kim Hill and Brent Edwards gave evidence earlier today that they had done work for other media while employed by RNZ.
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