Press Council praises publishers for handling of 'fabricator'

The Press Council has praised the country's two major newspaper publishers for the way they handled the first exposure in New Zealand journalism of a "serial fabricator" of news stories.

In its annual report released last week, the print media watchdog comments on last year's sacking of Auckland journalist John Manukia from the Herald on Sunday after he admitted fabricating a story on former South Auckland police officer Anthony Solomona.

Subsequent investigations by the Herald on Sunday and Manukia's former employers in the Fairfax newspaper group uncovered other stories written by him that could not be verified.

- NZPA