A journalists' organisation says it will only consider stripping right-wing blogger Cameron Slater of his media award if there's proof he used illegal tactics to break his story on Auckland mayor Len Brown.
Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater. Photo: TVNZ
Journalist Nicky Hager's new book Dirty Politics reveals Slater contacted an ex-prostitute friend to try to dig up more dirt on Auckland mayor Len Brown, after failing to force his resignation by exposing his extramarital affair on his blog, Whaleoil.
The editorial director of the Newspaper Publishers' Association, Rick Neville, who runs the Canon Media Awards, said it would be "a very extreme step" to cancel Slater's award for best blog, which he won for his story on Len Brown's extramarital affair.
Mr Neville admitted he had not had time to read the book himself, but said there would need to be more than just allegations for the association to take the unprecedented step of cancelling an award.
He said there would need to be "concrete evidence of illegal or highly unethical tactics".