Talley’s Group Ltd v Television New Zealand Ltd - [2025] NZHC 4006

TVNZ's publication of its 3 July 2021 broadcast falsely meant an insufficiency in emergency stop buttons at Talley's Ashburton site "was known to, and raised by workers with, Talley's management but not addressed", such meaning being not materially different from the relevant imputation pleaded by Talley's. By "not addressed", it was a meaning tending to lessen, and giving rise to "'more than minor' harm" to, Talley's reputation among some prospective and then-current Talley's employees. But, because Talley's had not proved the publication had caused, or is likely to cause, pecuniary loss to Talley's, the proceeding fails. Had Talley's proved any pecuniary loss caused by the publication, the publication nonetheless was TVNZ's responsible communication on a matter of public interest, meaning TVNZ still would have succeeded.