This article was first published on RNZ.
A controversial anti-Māori wards ad has been removed from Stuff’s websites following complaints, but it will continue to be advertised with the NZ Herald.
The Hobson’s Pledge ad says “Don’t divide us to represent us. Vote no to Māori Wards” and links to a website that shows pictures of mayors and councillors who have openly expressed that they stand for Māori wards and are against the use of their photo by the outfit.
The ad had been approved for publication on Stuff’s websites but was removed from their channels after the company was made aware on 20 September that it was now linking to the external website.
A Stuff Group spokesperson said the website contained additional content which formed part of the ad campaign and would not have met their terms and conditions.
“Stuff Group’s commercial team thoroughly vets all advocacy advertising before agreement to publish, to ensure it meets both our own standards and those of the Advertising Standards Authority. We have refused advertising from a broad range of advocacy groups when these standards are not met, while continuing to ensure we support open, transparent and facts-based debate on issues.
“The advertiser was advised on Monday that we would not fulfil the remainder of the campaign.”
Hobson’s Pledge leader Don Brash perceived their message as rude.
“[It’s] unfortunate that a major media company was willing to be swayed by the complaints of politicians. It used to be that media organisations resisted pressure and intimidatory behaviour from politicians, now it seems they do their bidding.”
“Hobson’s Pledge will continue to engage respectfully but firmly in the national conversation about Māori wards, equality, and governance. Robust debate is healthy for democracy; censorship is not.”
On Monday, the ASA released two ‘No Jurisdiction’ decisions relating to the advertisements that appeared on the Stuff.co.nz website.
The two complainants said the use of tangata Māori such as Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau, and Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell pictured with the words “vote no to Māori wards” was misleading and “not truthful representation of these people”.
The picture in question comes with a disclaimer on the website, “the views expressed on this website are those of the campaign and do not necessarily reflect the views of the individuals shown.”
The picture was not advertised by Stuff or NZME.
ASA Chief Executive Hilary Souter said in both cases, the complaints were centred around the website the complainant accessed by clicking the advertisement, rather than the ad itself.
Content on a website owned or controlled by an interest group is not within the jurisdiction of the ASA.
However, the ad remains on NZME sites such as the nzherald.co.nz.
An NZME spokesperson said the ad meets the requirements for advocacy advertising set out in NZME’s Advertising Acceptability Policy.
“As is the case with all ads, publication does not indicate NZME’s endorsement.”
The former National and ACT party leader, Brash said his group appreciates that the NZ Herald has “upheld the principle that lawful advocacy should be permitted in a free press.
“It is common practice for advocacy organisations to reference public figures and elected representatives in their materials. Politicians regularly appear in campaign imagery and are quoted for their own public statements. Doing so is a legitimate part of democratic discourse and public accountability.”
Last month, a photo of Tania Tapsell was used in a Hobson’s Pledge campaign which quoted parts of her comments from May 2021 and October 2022. It was an NZME image, which Hobson’s Pledge used without permission or purchasing and were asked to take down.
Hobson’s Pledge took the photo down, then reuploaded a different photo of her with the same quotes.
“We have used her publicly available image and direct quotes to illustrate a matter of public record,” Brash said.
He claimed that her words have been represented accurately and respectfully, despite Tapsell outlining that she did not give them permission to use images of her nor comments that mislead the public.
“It is not Hobson’s Pledge’s responsibility if she no longer wishes to stand by statements she made publicly in recent years. We note that nothing in our material suggests endorsement, only factual reference,” Brash said.
By Emma Andrews of RNZ.
