In a broadcast in April, Hosking named the five MPs as Mooney, Andrew Bayly, Sam Uffindell, Tim van de Molen and Barbara Kuriger. They all denied the allegation.
Hosking teased listeners over who “the leakers in the National Party are”.
“First of all, I am not a journalist,” Hosking said.
“Second of all, I don’t have sources. Somebody told me this, and I know that they know … they didn’t say off the record. I said, ‘Who are they?’ and they went ‘bing, bing, bing, bing and bing.’
“I don’t know how widely these names are known because I don’t care and I haven’t inquired but I have impeccable sources.”
In his Facebook post on Tuesday evening, Mooney said he had received an apology from ZB and thanked the station for it.
He attached to his Facebook post the opening sentences of a letter from ZB, which states: “Dear Mr Mooney, Thank you for your patience while we have reviewed your complaint.
“Having reviewed the matter, we acknowledge that the allegation that you were one of the five National Party ‘leakers’ should have been put to you for comment prior to the broadcast. Accordingly, Newstalk ZB has upheld your complaint internally.
“We have also spoken to the team and reminded them of their editorial obligations.”
National Party leader Christopher Luxon and Southland MP Joseph Mooney in Queenstown. Photo / Derek Cheng
Media Insider understands that three of the other four MPs named by Hosking – Bayly, Uffindell and van de Molen – also complained to Newstalk ZB and have received a similar response.
Despite Mooney’s social media post stating there was an apology, an NZME source said this was not the case.
Mooney told Media Insider on Tuesday night that this was semantics.
“I posted the substantive thing they said to me … I see it as an apology. If they don’t see it as an apology, that’s semantics. Frankly … people can draw their own conclusions.”
It is understood ZB has left open an invitation to Mooney to discuss the allegations on Hosking’s show.
“If he wants to identify who his Deep Throat source was – I’m being a little, a little bit allegorical there – then for sure, but otherwise I don’t see much value in doing it,” Mooney said.
“I want to draw a line under it. It was a pretty dumb thing that they did in my view, but they have at least acknowledged that the process they went through – that they should have at least spoken to us first.
“As I see it, that’s an apology. If they want to play semantics to say it’s not, that’s up to them, but we’ve got more important things to worry about.”
Mooney said in his social media post: “I hope this leads to more robust adherence to good fundamental journalistic standards going forwards.
“I don’t intend to take it any further.”
As media speculation swirled around Luxon’s leadership in April, he won a vote of confidence from his caucus.
An NZME spokeswoman said on Tuesday night: “Our response speaks for itself. We don’t have anything to add.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including managing editor, NZ Herald editor and Herald on Sunday editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.