RNZ Russia edits: Journalist accused of editing stories with pro-Russian sentiment resigns

At least 36 re-edited stories have now been identified during an RNZ review. Photo/ RNZ, Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A Radio New Zealand (RNZ) journalist who was stood down 12 days ago for editing stories to include pro-Russian sentiment has resigned.

In a statement to staff this afternoon, RNZ’s chief executive and editor-in-chief Paul Thompson said the employee at the centre of the state media organisation’s editing scandal has resigned, Checkpoint reported.

A three-person panel was appointed to undertake a review of RNZ’s editorial processes after the radio station’s board met last week.

The panel will include media law expert Willy Akel, who will chair the panel. It also features Linda Clark, a former journalist and media law expert. Alan Sunderland, the former director of editorial standards at ABC News in Australia, is the final member of the panel.

The scandal, which now involves at least 36 stories that were published on RNZ’s website, saw inappropriate edits made to Reuters and BBC stories that had an anti-Western ideology.

Thompson previously said the edits digital journalist Michael Hall made to the stories included “pro-Kremlin garbage” about the Russia-Ukraine war.

Hall earlier revealed he had edited stories “that way” since he started working for RNZ.

”I have done that for five years and nobody told me I was doing anything wrong,” he previously told Checkpoint.