The NZ Media Council has upheld a complaint against Waikato Business News over its article “The cost of canning greyhound racing”, published on 4 June 2025, citing a lack of balance in its coverage of the Government’s greyhound racing ban. The full ruling can be found on the Media Council’s website.
Natthakan Srisuk and Michael Lozell care for up to 12 greyhounds at a time through the Great Mates rehoming programme at their Te Kūiti home. Photo: King Country News
The article focused on the economic impact of the ban, quoting industry figures who described the decision as rushed and harmful to livelihoods. It included strong claims about the cost to the region and the challenges of rehoming thousands of dogs but failed to include any opposing views.
Kelly Bold, of the Greyhound Protection League of New Zealand, argued the article presented a one-sided narrative and omitted critical perspectives from animal welfare organisations, government officials, and independent experts. She said the piece ignored the reasons behind the ban and allowed industry representatives to make unchecked claims.
The Waikato Business News defended the article, saying this article and another on the issue covered the perspective of an industry that had considerable economic strength in its coverage area in response to the ban, which was well publicised at the time. Lobby groups were within their rights to encourage the media to write stories that suit their agenda.
The Media Council upheld the complaint under Principle (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance, stating the article fell short of the standard required for balanced reporting. It noted that while the article reflected industry concerns, it failed to include counterpoints or context about the Government’s rationale, including prior warnings and independent reviews.
Although the article came close to breaching Principle (4) Comment and Fact, the Council did not uphold that part of the complaint, presented as unattributed fact, they were clearly comments and did not meet the threshold for a breach. They were perspectives rather than misleading facts.
The termination of greyhound racing was a long-running issue and so there was an element of balance over time, but in this article new matters of fact were put forward, and opposing comment should have been sought.
The Council also upheld a second article Ms Bold complained about published in the Cambridge News (owned by the same company as the Waikato Business News) “The killing of an industry” published on May 29.
The rulings reinforce the need for media outlets to present diverse viewpoints, especially when reporting on divisive issues.
The Media Council said that both articles’ failure to include opposing voices amounted to a breach of editorial responsibility.
