The party also called for the company’s advertising standards to be reviewed, for a process qualifying information as correct to be included in those standards, and for the adoption of a “robust plan and commitment to the protection of tangata whenua”.
A spokesperson for NZME said the company was keenly aware of its obligations as a publisher and broadcaster, “including in respect of legislation and Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) codes”.
“Advertising responsibility sits with NZME’s commercial team and is separate to NZ Herald editorial. The content is a paid ad from an independent advertiser and is clearly labelled as so. There are thousands of ads placed across our platforms every week and publishing an ad is in no way NZME’s endorsement of the advertised message, products, services or other. We’re reviewing our processes and policies around advocacy advertising,” the spokesperson said.
Kawea Te Rongo, the Independent Māori Journalists Association, said on Thursday the ad promoted a “false narrative that the foreshore and seabed is owned by Māori”.
“This area of land has never been publicly owned,” Kawea Te Rongo co-chair Māni Dunlop said.
