I address our news media today, particularly those in the press gallery. You are not unaccountable, though you act as though you are. Your mandate derives from the citizens of this country. Please use it wisely and maturely. You are neither judge nor jury. Remember that your power, and the notion of media freedom that you protect so fiercely, rests on a promise of service to the democratic public—you are accountable to them. To be credible, you must turn the mirror on yourselves. There is good journalism in this country. There are emerging green shoots that provide hope. State-funded media not controlled by but at arm's length from Governments remains essential so that accurate news analysis and information is provided to citizens to maintain the social contract. The UK has the BBC; Australia, the ABC. We have a much smaller entity, RNZ, which I fear has lost its way in holding all media to a higher standard.