Making it up - what passes as journalism

Publisher admits story details made up

Radio NZ,

8 December, 2013

One of the biggest publishing companies in New Zealand has admitted running stories with made-up details.

Recent issues of Bauer Media's Lucky Break magazine included several stories from Britain which were written as though they had taken place in New Zealand.

The breach first came to light in Australia where a similar magazine ran the same stories as if they had taken place there. One of the stories concerned a 10-year-old child murdered in the UK in 2003.

Bauer Media's chief executive in New Zealand, Paul Dykzeul, said the company has acted to stop the practice.

Mr Dykzeul told Radio New Zealand's Mediawatch programme recent staffing changes at the company led to factual mistakes being made.

"We've shifted the production of the New Zealand issue of Lucky Break into Australia and we probably don't have enough people at ground level. Perhaps that's how some of these errors have occurred - and as a result of that we've added some people to the teams."

Bauer Media publishes magazines including The Australian Women's Weekly, Next, Metro and North & South.

The company is waiting for Commerce Commission approval to buy more magazines in New Zealand, including The Listener and New Zealand Woman's Weekly.

Listen to more on Mediawatch