New Zealand Herald used 'subterfuge' to interview woman who had hair pulled by John Key (original) (raw)

The New Zealand Herald fell “sadly short” of the highest professional standards in its interview with the woman who had her hair pulled by prime minister John Key, the media watchdog says.

New Zealand’s press council has ruled that then-Herald columnist Rachel Glucina failed to properly represent herself to Aucklander Amanda Bailey, who anonymously complained that Key had tugged her hair on numerous occasions at her cafe.

Bailey wrote on the Daily Blog website complaining about the incidents in April, prompting an apology from the prime minister and media attention from around the world.

Shortly after, the Herald ran a story by Glucina revealing Bailey’s name and featuring photos and an interview with the waiter.

Bailey complained she had been duped into doing the article, saying her employers, friends of Glucina’s, had told her she was a PR consultant who would release a media statement for her.

The article in the New Zealand Herald that was the subject of the complaint. Photograph: New Zealand Herald

The council said there was an “element of subterfuge” in what Glucina had done in not making clear to Bailey that she was a reporter, and that there was not enough public interest to justify it.

“The onus was on Ms Glucina as a professional media person to make the position completely clear to all parties, particularly to Ms Bailey, with whom she had had no previous contact, who was in a vulnerable position, and whose interests could well have been in conflict with those of the cafe owner’s,” it said.

The press council was concerned with maintaining the press in accordance with the highest professional standards, it said.

“The NZ Herald has fallen sadly short of those standards in this case.”

The multiple complainants did not include Bailey herself.

The Herald has denied the accusations of subterfuge and Glucina has since left the company. It remains unclear whether Bailey’s employers knew the article would be printed in the Herald.