Media speculation about what would happen fuelled the subsequent trouble in north Dunedin on Saturday night, Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin believes.
But media agencies say they were just doing their job.
Mr Chin said on television yesterday "hype" by both print and visual media was such that there was an expectation there would be trouble, and it duly happened.
Asked about his concerns, he told the Otago Daily Times that in the last couple of months all forms of media had been "speculating wildly" on what would happen at the unofficial Undie 500.
"There was a lot of expectation something would happen there. On the night, television channels were stalking around, along with other media.
"It ended up a self-fulfilling prophesy. I question the effect of what they were doing."
TVNZ public affairs manager Megan Richards said she would not comment on Mr Chin's views except to say One News coverage of the event was not trying to invite anything.
"The motivation was to be there in the event something happened, not to incite anything."
TV3 South Island bureau chief Phil Corkery said he did not agree with Mr Chin's comments.
"I don't accept that at all. We cannot ignore a big news event like this."
He believed TV3 had handled the event responsibly.
The head of the University of Otago's media, film and communications department, Prof Geoff Kearsley, said he felt the coverage had not been unreasonable given what happened last year.
The coverage had not caused disorder and the media had a right to reasonably present news, but people in those sorts of situations were always going to play up to media, especially to television cameras.
Otago Daily Times editor Murray Kirkness said blame for what happened was being apportioned in various directions yesterday.
"So far today I've heard it was the fault of the retailers selling alcohol, the fault of the media and the fault of the police. What I've not heard is that it was the fault of those involved."
Mr Chin would not be drawn on how he might deal with the media interest should a similar event be planned again next year.
He needed time to talk to "a whole lot of people" in the aftermath.
"At this stage, I don't know really how to deal with it."
