Petition · past parliament
Media retractions should be no less prominent than the original error.
Rejected
16 signatures
What the petition asks
Legislate that when the free press make an error which requires a publicised retraction or correction, this should be done using a font no smaller than the original headline. It should also appear on a page with equal prominence. Similar regulations should be in place for broadcast media.
The free press is an important part of our democratic society, however this often leads to misinformation being touted at a much greater prominence than any subsequent retraction or correction.
To ensure that our journalists uphold their ethical practices, this legislation will make them think again before publishing poorly researched and unverifiable information.
To ensure that our journalists uphold their ethical practices, this legislation will make them think again before publishing poorly researched and unverifiable information.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 3 May 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 11 May 2021 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
16
Status
Rejected
Rejected
11 May 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.