1News welcomes feedback on our stories and thousands of users around the world share their diverse views in the comments of our social media posts every day. Not all these views are harmonious — nor should they be — but some are considered harmful, legally fraught, or even dangerous.
That’s why 1News moderates comments on its social media accounts — sometimes deleting comments and sometimes turning comments off. When deciding what action to take, we consider the safety of our audience, the individuals and groups mentioned in our articles, the law, and the wellbeing of our community management team.
What do social media comments have to do with the law?
Our most common reason for turning off comments is they could break the law.
We can’t allow potentially defamatory comments on our posts as legal action could be taken against both TVNZ, who owns 1News, and the comment poster.
Another legal reason we sometimes close comments is the sub-judice rule, which prohibits public discussion of an ongoing criminal prosecution in order to ensure fair trials. This includes restricting the dissemination of information about the alleged crime and individuals charged.
Finally, we need to ensure comments aren’t in contempt of court, for example we can't risk commenters breaching name suppression orders. Violating a suppression order is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 or six months in prison.
Do you delete or turn off comments even when they don’t break the law?
Yes, we want a healthy online community, so we’re clear about what is acceptable in our social house rules.
Social House Rules:
Be kind and courteous - We're all in this together, so let's treat everyone with respect. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required. Anything that's threatening, harmful or offensive is not acceptable.
No hate speech or bullying – Make sure that everyone feels safe. Bullying of any kind isn't allowed, and degrading comments about things such as race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated.
Don't break the law - Never share any videos, images or text showing or referencing criminal activity, or anything that breaches any court orders or injunctions.
No promotions or spam - Self-promotion, spam and irrelevant links aren't allowed.
Your posts, your responsibility - Everything you contribute is your responsibility and is in no way endorsed by TVNZ.
How does comment moderation work?
1News.co.nz staff moderate comments to ensure they comply with our social media house rules while also seeing to other duties. Sometimes, the volume of comments is too great to be effectively moderated, and we need to shut them down.
Due to the volume of comments, sometimes we may miss one that breaks our social house rules. If you spot a comment that needs our attention, please send us a message so we can take care of it.
