MIKE HOSKING FOUND GUILTY OF BULLYING

Mike Hosking is found guilty by the Broadcasting Standards Authority of a bullying personal attack on the waitress who had her ponytail repeatedly pulled by the Prime Minister.

WE ALL KNOW THAT MIKE HOSKING'S DEFAULT SETTING IS always to devotedly defend Prime Minister John Key. And that included when John Key was 'outed' as having repeatedly pulled the ponytail of Amanda Bailey, a cafe waitress.

On Seven Sharp (April 25) he described Bailey's motivation for speaking out as 'selfish' and 'a puffed up self-involved pile of political bollocks'.

Hosking accused the waitress of ' ...looking to hang the Prime Minister out to dry, her selfishness caused needless upset and attention to a couple who have done nothing but go about their business.'

Hosking's outburst was a subject of a complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority. Peter Aranyi, Cordelia Lockett, Giovanni Tiso and Bronwyn Hayward each lodged complaints, alleging that Hosking's comments amounted to a bullying personal attack on the waitress and were unfair. The BSA has upheld these complaints. In its ruling, released on September 25, it states:

". While the waitress may well have been asked for general comment in relation to other items on Seven Sharp, the format of Mr Hosking's 'final word' segment is such that it cannot accommodate the views of anyone other than Mr Hosking. It allowed him to voice his critical opinions of the waitress uninterrupted and without any balance or counter. There was no opportunity in this context for a defence to be put on behalf of the waitress. She was accused in a curious way of having victimised her employer. An over-the-top tone of condemnation was taken. All of this, taken together, does not seem fair to us."

However TVNZ  is not required to broadcast an on-air apology or delete any related material from its website.

Writing on Facebook , Giovanni Tiso says he is not confident that TVNZ will do the right thing by Amanda Bailey.