TVNZ Breakfast Host John Campbell Escapes Censorship For Calling Donald Trump’s Son ‘A Total Idiot’

A complaint about John Campbell describing Donald Trump jnr as a “total jerk” during a breakfast show segment has been dismissed.

The television host used the word “penis” three times in August last year, referring to a speech by Donald Trump Jr, son of then-US President Donald Trump.

“He’s a bit of a jerk … When I say ‘a little bit of a jerk,’ he’s a total jerk,” Campbell said.

But his repeated use of the word struck a chord with a viewer whose last name was ‘Dick’.

Alan Dick complained to the Broadcasting Standards Authority, saying the term “denigrated” vulnerable children.

He said the repeated use of the word “penis” as an insult subjected people with the last name to ridicule, including vulnerable children.

The authority said people with that last name might be more sensitive to its use generally in broadcasting, but found Campbell’s reference acceptable.

“Campbell was referring specifically to Donald Trump Jr and most viewers would have interpreted him to mean ‘a stupid or despicable person,’ a widely understood and generally acceptable use of the term,” the decision said.

TVNZ responded to the complaint by saying: “The breakfast is aimed at adult viewers, takes an informal and conversational approach to news and current affairs, and its hosts commonly express themselves frankly and humorously, often in colloquial and informal language.”

“… children of vulnerable age are unlikely to watch the news unsupervised,” TVNZ said.

The authority said it was important to consider “freedom of expression” and found that it caused no actual or potential harm.

“There is an established audience expectation that between news and current affairs segments, there are frequent jokes, humor and opinions offered by the presenters.

“Campbell is known for his candid and irreverent comments.

“The broadcast did not mention people with the surname Dick or actively encourage ridicule by those people,” the authority said.

Dick is a common surname of Scottish origin. However, ‘dick’ is also a common noun with well-established meanings.