Complaints against the New Zealand Herald and one of its then-journalists over a story about Prime Minister John Key pulling a waitress' ponytail have been upheld by the Press Council.
In April, the Herald published an article about Amanda Bailey and the controversy over her reaction to Key when he persistently pulled her ponytail.
Bailey later published in a blog that she had been misled about the nature of the interview she had given to gossip columnist Rachel Glucina.
Former NZ Herald gossip columnist Rachel Glucina. Photo: Twitter
Nine people complained expressing concern that Glucina may have used subterfuge in dealing with Bailey.
The council found there were elements of subterfuge in the Herald's dealings with Bailey, along with a failure to act fairly towards her.
The Press Council is concerned with promoting media freedom and maintaining the press in accordance with the highest professional standards.
The Herald had fallen sadly short of those standards in this case, the council said.
Glucina last month announced she’d quit the Herald for MediaWorks, where she’d be working in a “joint-venture partnership to create, run and co-own a new digital entertainment platform”.
READ MORE: The full Press Council ruling.
A version of this story was first published on radionz.co.nz.