Refusal to provide information and interviews following a journalist’s coverage of a decision

Excerpt

The complainant, a radio journalist, reported in an interview on a colleague’s radio show that the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (Pharmac) would imminently announce its decision to fund the medicine Trikafta. At the time Pharmac had sent some information to certain journalists under embargo until two days after the radio show was aired. The complainant, the radio show host and their employer had not received the embargoed information from Pharmac. That evening Pharmac conveyed its decision not to provide information or interviews to the complainant’s media network. Three days later, Pharmac proposed a stand down period for the remainder of that week, where standard information and media releases would be provided, but media interviews would not be held. 

Based on the information before me, I have formed the opinion that Pharmac’s decision not to provide information or interviews to the complainant’s media network during the period in question was unreasonable. I do not intend to make any recommendations.