Police Probe Tv ‘smear’ (Press, 27 August 1977)
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Summary: Police Probe Tv ‘smear’ (Press, 27 August 1977)
On 27 August 1977, the ongoing tensions between the New Zealand police and television programming came to the forefront as top-level discussions were initiated to address allegations of unfair treatment portrayed on TV. The Commissioner of Police, Mr K. B. Burnside, began discussions with TVI's Director-General, Mr Allen Morris, which the Minister of Police, Mr McCready, hoped would yield constructive outcomes. These talks were prompted by concerns raised in Parliament after Opposition back-bencher Mr D. R. Lange called for clarification regarding Mr McCready's assertion of a perceived "smear campaign" against the police. In his response to Lange, Mr McCready indicated that upon reviewing recent television broadcasts, particularly from the ‘Dateline’ programme on TVI, it was reasonable to conclude there was an ongoing smear campaign. He specifically referred to three episodes. The first was aired on 4 July and focused on unverified claims regarding the methods employed by Auckland detectives to collect evidence. The second episode, broadcast on 1 August, insinuated that law enforcement had unlawfully exposed a computer employee suspected of leaking information. Following this episode, Mr McCready noted that 'Dateline' had issued a correction. In addition, Mr McCready mentioned inaccuracies in the same programme that were apparent to anyone familiar with The Chief Ombudsman’s report. The final instance cited by Mr McCready occurred the previous Monday, when 'Dateline' drew connections between prominent figures, Gerald O’Brien and Colin Moyle, while discussing comments made by David Exel, the Labour Party’s communications director. Mr Exel suggested that the concurrent disrepute of two senior vice-presidents due to allegations of homosexual activities was not coincidental. Overall, the situation underscores the ongoing scrutiny faced by the New Zealand police and the impact of media representations on public perception as the authorities seek to rectify potentially damaging narratives.
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