An official report confirms New Zealand’s intelligence agency spent two months investigating former RNZ journalist Mick Hall after he was accused of inserting Russian propaganda into a Reuters wire story.
The NZSIS probe concluded in August 2023 with no evidence of foreign interference and found Hall posed no threat to national security.
Hall, who resigned amid the media storm, was accused in June 2023 of altering a paragraph in a Ukraine war story to say the 2014 Maidan uprising was a “colour revolution” that triggered civil war.
RNZ management labelled the edits “Russian propaganda” and suspended Hall, sparking global headlines and speculation.
Inspector-General Brendan Horsley has now ruled the NZSIS acted lawfully and proportionately, following its protocols for investigating “Sensitive Category Individuals.” The agency’s enquiries remained limited, with no evidence shared inappropriately or with foreign partners.
Hall accepts the NZSIS acted properly but criticises RNZ’s management, saying they mischaracterised editorial differences as disinformation, fuelling a witch hunt and inviting surveillance.
A separate Independent Review Panel last year also cleared Hall of intent to mislead, saying his edits were aimed at improving context and balance.
It faulted RNZ for using inflammatory language and noted that experienced editors can disagree in good faith over news judgement.
Centrist Ltd.