We Need The Journalists & Newsrooms That Remain

An Appeal To The Left

This is a repost of an article I wrote on social media. It was published before this week’s announcement of TVNZ cuts.

I often reflect on how much hysteria there was around Golriz Ghahraman - journalists parked outside her home for a week after she admitted fault.

The hyper-attention and headlines the media maintained for days on end, despite Golriz’s admissions and the justice system running its course.

Yet contrast that with Casey Costello - who has been successfully avoiding all media except friendly right wing platforms.

A few designer dresses is newsworthy but setting aside $216mn of taxpayers money for a global tobacco company is not?

And omitting $46bn of benefits to NZ from her smoke-free generation repeal paper isn’t worth a pursuit - even though tobacco and heated tobacco products will likely kill Kiwis, and burden our health system inexorably?

What about the pass media give to Luxon on his innumerable lies - and at this point there’s a lot of them e.g. the 22% Y8 Maths statistic on a never taught curriculum he and Stanford repeat or re: Health NZ?

The only person who I've readily seen run after the politicians is Benedict Collins (TVNZ) and I find most journalists end up writing fluff pieces even if they challenge Luxon during the press conferences that I watch.

It took me a while to understand a number of facets:

1. David Seymour seems to have “promised” hard times for media earlier this year. I know because I wrote about it. He ‘threatened’ TVNZ with paying a dividend even as their financials flailed - and just as Newshub announced it was going to close.

2. David Seymour personally attacked reporter Benedict Collins in March for his reporting on Luxon’s $52,000 tax free allowance - even though Seymour is not allowed to as a Shareholding Minister of TVNZ.

3. He then said our media was full of “enormous self pity” - again as a Crown Minister. (Luxon defended him)

4. David Seymour told Sean Plunkett (who is funded by the Wright family and hosts Holocaust denier Candace Owens) that our media in NZ produced "hateful" content, and he and this right wing government would ensure that they changed the people running media

5. NZME with their multiple brands is a corporate mouthpiece with an Atlas Network affiliated Chairperson - enough said.

6. Taxpayers Union frequently attacks RNZ and TVNZ and calls for them to be defunded or sold

7. ACT refuses to turn up to RNZ Morning Show because Seymour claims they are "disrespectful" (code for they call him out on his weak logic and hypocrisy).

TLDR:

The media is either weak, and in an environment where the pettiness or intentions of the government cannot be understated - and/or they are corporate mouthpieces which are allies to this government i.e. Newstalk ZB and NZ Herald.

The problem is media landscape is dying - ad revenues are being squeezed - and the ones with the money are the ones buying the news outlets and staff.

I urge the public and all Kiwis to care and rally for PUBLIC INTEREST journalism - it's the only way forward.

PS

To add:

News media is stuck between a rock and a hard place too.

The problem with years of toxic misinformation is that it poisons the population's beliefs and understanding.

There are many many, many, Kiwis who still believe the lies of this Coalition government e.g. there is no money left, Labour spent it all etc. when that’s simply far from our financial reality.

They don’t understand that Nicola Willis's budget deficit this year exceeds all budgets of Labour, bar Covid.

Or she borrowed $12bn more for tax cuts - not for a global pandemic to save lives and livelihoods. Indeed, as Bernard Hickey reported, $10bn of those tax cuts went to the richest 40% in our country.

Willis also threw away $1bn (1000 x $1mn) on the Interislander cancellation because they probably wanted to sell it at first.

But folks hold beliefs often rabidly and even if you show them the financials, they are more likely to fight than to agree.

Media has to try to tow a line for now - especially when it is under threat.

I spoke to someone in journalism and they said the government's attacks on journalists earlier this year had been “chilling.”

And as ad revenues decline and journalists lose resources, the compounding effect is they become weaker and weaker and weaker - weak enough to be subsumed.

TVNZ overall - and I have my disputes too - are still bringing us a lot of stories that matter e.g. Paul Goldmsith removing Te Reo Maori, Casey Costello lying again etc.

RNZ has kept stories on Health NZ alive.

We need to support our media if we can - even if they aren't perfect.

So long as they are not actual right wing mouthpieces like Newstalk or The Platform, I tend to give them some benefit of the doubt.

I urge my friends and associates to do the same - while the newsrooms and journalists remain intact.

My only caveat is if and as this government succeeds in changing things enough, it might get hairier.

(My article below - Making It Make Sense - What Happened, and What We Need To Look Out For With Media talks through that too)

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EXTRAS

Which papers to trust in this day and age?

• Guardian is phenomenal and relies on user subscriptions and donations

• Newsroom picks up the data with intelligence and precision. They publish a range of views and I find Marc Daalder and Jonathan Milne produce reliable content.

• RNZ still does good work while it can and has done God’s work re: covering the Casey Costello developments (that no-one else touches) and Health NZ developments

• Otago Daily Times

• New Zealand Geographic which has not been shy about its financial challenges

• TVNZ hosts Q & A and 1News’ Benedict Collins has broken many stories with courage. Christopher Luxon is still too afraid to front Q&A but has promised to before year end.

• I don’t follow Spinoff but they’ve broken some exceptional stories including Paul Goldsmith’s inappropriate appointment of NZ’s Human Rights Commissioner, and The Wright Family Funds Sean Plunkett

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