Jose Aquino against Stuff (Aotearoa)

Stuff published an article on March 1, 2025, headlined The Aotearoa complaints have gone up.  The first sentence of the article explained this was an occasional column by Stuff editor-in-chief Keith Lynch offering behind the scenes insight into stories and newsroom decisions.

It reported there had been an increase in complaints about Stuff using Aotearoa instead of New Zealand.

The item mentioned recent comment by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters who said that Green MP Ricardo Menendez March should not use the name Aotearoa in Parliament. It also mentioned ACT leader David Seymour’s comment that the word Aotearoa was used on New Zealand money and passports.

Mr Lynch explained that Te Reo was an official language of New Zealand and Stuff was committed to normalising and encouraging its use. He also cited an earlier Media Council ruling which said: “Aotearoa is widely used in New Zealand as the alternative name of this country, and in our assessment is accepted as such by most New Zealanders.”

Mr Aquino argued that the word was not mainstream or widely used and there was no evidence of this.  He said that just because Māori was an official language,  Stuff was not obliged to use it. He also argued “Aotearoa isn’t even the Māori word for New Zealand, its ‘Nu Tireni’.

Stuff responded to the complaint saying it had nothing to add beyond what was in the column.

The Media Council noted it had already determined this issue in Case No: 2996 Heather Morris v Stuff which ruled there were no grounds for complaint.

Te Reo is one of three official languages and is in increasingly wide parlance. Aotearoa had been used for many decades. It is the most common of several alternatives, and its usage is at the discretion of each news outlet.

Mr Aquino is entitled to express his views on this issue but has not made a case to show how the article breached any Media Council principles.

 
Decision:  No grounds to proceed.