TVNZ criticised over reports on lyprinol cure

By LOUISA CLEAVE

One Network News and Holmes have been criticised by the broadcasting watchdog for inaccurate coverage of a so-called cancer cure, the lyprinol extract from green-lip mussels.

The Ministry of Health complained to the Broadcasting Standards Authority that Television New Zealand's handling of the story on July 30 last year was inaccurate, unbalanced, lacked objectivity and distorted the scientific findings.

But the authority said TVNZ's coverage overall was fair and balanced.

In a ruling released yesterday, the authority accepted that the lyprinol story was significant - with the research exciting for cancer sufferers and the mussel industry - and should have been treated with accuracy and balance.

It found that a claim made by the One Network News reporter that 600 papers had been written about lyprinol was wrong.

TVNZ said the reporter was acting on the information of reliable sources and it corrected the statement in later coverage.

The authority said TVNZ also breached accuracy standards with a Holmes trailer that trumpeted: "On Holmes tonight, a cure for cancer."

It said the reports on both the news bulletin and Holmes were optimistic and "exaggerated" scientists' cautious claims about the early stages of the research. But further coverage the following week put the issue into perspective to overcome the original lack of balance.

"However, it is evident to the authority that much of this coverage was needed to counteract the inaccuracies and lack of balance in the initial reporting."

A senior medical adviser at the ministry, Dr Stewart Jessamine, said that although most of the complaint was not upheld he was happy with the result.

"It's clear that the authority found that the original articles were inaccurate and it certainly expresses the opinion the original articles were unbalanced.

"We are pleased that a line has been drawn in the sand over stating there are requirements on journalists that they look at as much information as they can and portray it accurately. The message that is coming out of the authority is quite clear."

Paul Cutler, head of news and current affairs at TVNZ, said the two complaints upheld were "pretty hair-splitting."

He said TVNZ had tried to overcome any shortcomings from the original story, "and the authority is satisfied that we did."

"On the general accuracy they found against us on two very minor accounts.

"On the major complaint of balance, fairness and partiality, the authority has agreed with us that fairness and balance has been achieved over a period of time."