She said she had a conversation with a person – the name is redacted – \u201cand gone through where I think the story was lacking in balance\u201d.<\/p>\n
Collins\u2019 report focused on gang member numbers in New Zealand, and how they now outnumbered police officers. <\/p>\n
While the story was accurate, it raised the ire of Mitchell and other Government ministers because Collins had not referenced new data, released that day, showing a big drop in violent crime.<\/p>\n
TVNZ political reporter Benedict Collins. Photo \/ TVNZ<\/p>\n
The story led to discussions at the highest levels, with the PM\u2019s office unhappy, and TVNZ chair Andrew Barclay raising it, in passing, during a phone call with Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith.<\/p>\n
Mitchell\u2019s Facebook post described the reporting as \u201cunbalanced\u201d and \u201cabsolutely unbelievable\u201d.<\/p>\n
TVNZ has released a series of internal and external email correspondence following \u201cmultiple\u201d Official Information Act requests, including from Wellington\u2019s Post, which reported on the documents today.<\/p>\n
The documents include the email from Sherman to O\u2019Sullivan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have just gotten off the phone with Minister Mitchell and offered an apology as political editor of the office, outlining to him where I think the coverage could have been improved,\u201d Sherman told O\u2019Sullivan.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe thanked me for the phone call and appreciated the genuine acknowledgement of the concerns raised. I told him that maintaining trust and integrity is important to us and is a priority for our newsroom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of the email correspondence released by TVNZ.<\/p>\n
TVNZ broadcast a follow-up story five days later in which it outlined the drop in crime.<\/p>\n
Collins himself defended his reporting in an email to O\u2019Sullivan.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur focus with the track was to break an exclusive law and order story showing gang members now outnumber cops, something Luxon had promised wouldn\u2019t happen under his watch – this is important to highlight,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was no deliberate lack of balance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other parts of Collins\u2019 email have been redacted by TVNZ.<\/p>\n
TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell. Photo \/ Sylvie Whinray <\/p>\n
TVNZ chief executive Jodi O\u2019Donnell was overseas when the story was broadcast. As the company\u2019s editor-in-chief, she said she raised the matter with the newsroom when she returned the following Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were already doing a review and they came to the conclusion that whilst the story itself was accurate and factual, there was some facts that were missing,\u201d O\u2019Donnell told the Herald on March 5.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so balance wasn\u2019t achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the same day that she spoke to the Herald, O\u2019Donnell wrote an email to staff, according to the documents released under the OIA<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you will be aware, Minister Goldsmith said he spoke with our Chair, and the story was brought up in passing. I was not party to that conversation. <\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be clear: that call did not influence our editorial decision-making and at no time did I feel any pressure from directors to raise the story with newsroom leadership,\u201d O\u2019Donnell wrote in her email.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand why the sequence of events here has created a perception and has put TVNZ under scrutiny. I don\u2019t take that lightly, and it\u2019s a frustrating position for the newsroom to be in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jodi O’Donnell’s email to TVNZ staff.<\/p>\n