Media Council upholds complaints against the Otago Daily Times

The Media Council has upheld more than one hundred complaints against the Otago Daily Times over its controversial cartoon that made light of Samoa's measles epidemic. The cartoon by veteran cartoonist Garrick Tremain was published on December the 3rd. It shows two people walking out of a travel agent, with one remarking that the least popular spots right now are the ones people are picking up in Samoa. More than 2000 complaints were made to the ODT, and the newspaper was targeted by protestors. One hundred and 30 official complaints were laid with the Media Council. In its decision the council described the cartoon as "gratuitously hurtful and discriminatory". Reporter Matthew Theunissen spoke to the Samoan activist Sina Brown-Davis about the decision.