Complaining about the media's reporting on science

We love to complain about the news media when they get stuff wrong, especially for those of us interested in science. But how do official complaints get handled when contested or controversial science is reported? This research considers 12 years (2010-2022) of science-related complaints made to New Zealand's two media self-regulatory bodies: the Media Council and the Broadcast Standards Authority. I will present preliminary analysis, with a focus on climate-related complaints, to consider trends in the types of complaints and how the authorities reach decisions when there are questions about where the balance of scientific evidence lies. Are these systems fit for purpose in an increasingly messy and volatile information ecosystem, especially when the news media landscape is itself under threat?