Hirschfeld in clear over Zaoui rally says TV3

TV3 is satisfied that newsreader Carol Hirschfeld did not compromise her journalistic integrity by attending a rally to support detained Algerian Ahmed Zaoui.

Hirschfeld was one of more than 200 people who gathered outside Auckland Central Remand Prison to mark the second anniversary of Mr Zaoui's imprisonment without trial on Saturday.

A photograph of her appeared in the Herald on Sunday the following day.

Media reports yesterday suggested she had failed to show the political neutrality expected of a journalist and said TV3 had held high-level talks to discuss the matter.

But TV3 head of news Mark Jennings last night defended Hirschfeld, saying her attendance at the rally did not constitute political bias.

He said she had gone to the rally to support her husband, newspaper columnist and former Listener editor Finlay McDonald.

McDonald has been a vocal supporter of Mr Zaoui.

Mr Jennings said TV3 journalists were required to maintain "a disinterested and neutral position" on political matters.

But he did not accept that by attending the rally, Hirschfeld had shown support for Mr Zaoui. "I don't think you can extrapolate that."

Mr Jennings said Hirschfeld was not reprimanded and no policy directive was given to other TV3 journalists as a result of the incident.

Hirschfeld could not be contacted last night, but Mr McDonald said she went to the rally to help him look after their children and because she was interested. "There's a difference between expressing personal political views openly and attending public events out of interest and curiosity," he said.

But Jim Tully, head of the Canterbury University journalism school, said journalists who were seen to identify with political causes left themselves open to the perception of bias.

"Whether she's there as a spectator or there as a supporter, or indeed as an opponent, it doesn't really matter."