The Press Council has rejected two complaints against the Wairarapa Times-Age over a February story on alternative health practices in Wairarapa.
The Science Media Centre and the Society for Science-Based Health Care complained the story "Use of natural remedies is on the rise" was unbalanced in that it did not counter the comments of naturopaths and homeopaths with science-based opinion.
Editor Andrew Bonallack said the Times-Age had a right to accurately report what people believed in, even if that belief ran counter to other's opinions, and that debate over alternative remedies was sufficiently well known not to require balancing comment in every story about them.
The council agreed, saying the newspaper had clearly reported the views of people who practised and experienced alternative health remedies. The newspaper had not expressed a view, the council said.
