NZ Herald's House Rules

The New Zealand Herald's Community House Rules

Welcome to the New Zealand Herald community. Your comments are a vital part of the experience at nzherald.co.nz.

We want our forum to be safe, civil, and respectful. When you submit a comment on one of our stories, it is sent to a moderator to review. Comments will not be published if they are judged to have violated our House Rules, which is at the discretion of the moderator. A commenter that repeatedly violates the rules may have their account suspended. If you believe a comment has been rejected in error, email newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz and we'll investigate.

House Rules

Comments that feature any of the following will not be published:

  • Comments that are insulting, discriminatory or break the law
  • Comments that are inflammatory or do not positively advance debate
  • Comments that are off-topic
  • Comments in capital letters, or mostly in capital letters, or mostly in bold
  • Comments that use derogatory or misogynistic nicknames
  • Comments that contain swear words, profanities or threatening language
  • Excessive criticism of other comments or commenters
  • Personal attacks on our journalists. We encourage criticism of articles and arguments, but will we not allow personal attacks or challenges to journalistic integrity
  • Repeated comments saying the same thing
  • Comments that contain URL links, Gifs, pictures, videos or link to explicit content
  • Comments that contain advertising
  • Comments that spread misinformation

We encourage thoughtful, insightful debate - the best comments bring fresh ideas and perspectives. Humour is good. Be concise.

At busy times, there may be delays posting comments. Our moderators work across a range of stories, so comments are not necessarily published in the order they are received. Comments will be closed once the debate wanes, or it moves off-topic. Comments will not be open on all stories.

And, remember this is a public space. What you say can be viewed by others - be safe and don't post personal details about yourself or others.

Comments that put you or others in danger will be passed on to authorities. Users who submit illegal material or hate speech may have their details reported to authorities. You consent to our disclosing your personal information for this purpose.

Commenters must do so under their real names - no nicknames will be accepted. This is to encourage authentic, on-topic debate.

By contributing to this page, you agree to allow the New Zealand Herald to use your content in any manner without any obligation or compensation to you. One example may be that we use a comment you make and publish it as reader feedback in an online or print story.

The content posted by readers on this site does not reflect the Herald’s views or opinions, or those of Herald staff.

NZME's Network Terms and Privacy Policy also apply.