Editorial: Kamahl Santamaria case is bad news

Journalist Kamahl Santamaria was in the role of Breakfast presenter for a month. Photo / TVNZ, File

Editorial

EDITORIAL

The sorry, drawn-out saga of former Breakfast host Kamahl Santamaria's abrupt departure from TVNZ is much more than celebrity tattle.

First and foremost, it should always be remembered there are real people who have been affected by what has taken place.

Santamaria returned to New Zealand after 16 years at Al Jazeera to take over hosting TVNZ's morning current affairs show after veteran broadcaster John Campbell left in April. But, after just 31 days on the job, he mysteriously resigned.

Despite TVNZ saying his disappearance was due to a "family emergency", the Herald spoke with a number of women who claimed to have received questionable messages from him.

A number of emails sent internally to TVNZ staff about Santamaria's departure were then leaked to the Herald. One email outlined plans for a review of the state broadcaster's recruitment processes after the abrupt resignation.

The sequence of events not only calls into question TVNZ's recruitment processes, but also the response to managing complaints, and the manner in which the state broadcaster responds to questions of public interest.

The TVNZ situation is also a headache for Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi, who is trying to merge RNZ and TVNZ into a non-profit "public media entity" as a multi-platform public service provider capable of fulfilling its cultural and civil remit into the 21st century.

Meanwhile, it was revealed last month five Radio New Zealand employees have been accused of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct or sexism in the last five years – three of whom have since left the broadcaster.

Media organisations, including ours, have struggled to maintain ideal working environments at times. The mix of rolling deadlines, pressures of live news reporting, and vigorous personalities can amount to a brew of tension and manifest sometimes in unacceptable behaviour. Other industries will have their own examples and challenges but we all must accept our responsibilities and failings and strive to be better.

But the circumstances at TVNZ give rise to such a raft of concerns, Minister Faafoi needs to insist on full disclosure of what has taken place, and what will be done about it.