staff who’d “publish and be damned” no matter whose agenda was favoured by the facts they uncovered

The only problem I see with this is that anybody who did this would just get hung out and dried as a non-caring, own agenda pushing right winger. All you need to do is look at the sort of vitriolic statements that come from some of the left learning commentors on this blog to see why you wouldn’t want your name attributed to a publication like that. What I seem to have noticed over the last decade is that more and more “rich pricks” like to pretend to be every day joes, no Ferraris, no Porsches, modest house and no way of really telling how much they earn because being in the limelight or being obvious is a good way to get noticed for what seem to be the wrong reasons these days.

Doing something about it would seem to be an invitation for counter-bias.

Could be, stephen. And that might appeal more to the people to whom my challenge is addressed, I guess. But if they truly believe much of our media is biased toward a leftist perspective, then maybe there’s one or two brave enough to establish a media outlet with an editor and staff who’d “publish and be damned” no matter whose agenda was favoured by the facts they uncovered, and – most importantly, in my view – prepared to fund the time and manpower needed to produce investigative pieces.

I happen not to believe there’s significant bias among journalists (though I’d grant they’re usually more liberal than a sample of the average population), but having worked in it during a time of change, when staff numbers were being slashed, I do believe there’s now so much pressure on too few people working under unreasonable cost constraints that journalism can’t possibly flourish. And I’m tired of hearing this attributed to “left wing bias” by people who have it in their power to create and fund media that needn’t struggle under those sorts of constraints – but don’t.

edit:

First time caller: They are about to. You clearly need to buy your quality NZ journalism fresh from the dairy, not wait for it to show up in your proctologist’s waiting room six months later

I got out of journalism when newspapers started telling their journalists that they were expected to supply x column centimetres a day. “Never mind the quality, feel the width” as they say.

I’m sure many here will claim that it’s capitalism in action and the fact that the decimation of newsroom numbers brings a few extra cents on the annual shareholders’ dividend (and a handy raise to the directors’ fees) is to be heralded (if you’ll pardon the pun). But I hold this quaint old fashioned view that the media has another duty – to it’s readership / listenership / viewership. And – to a greater or lesser degree – that duty has been sacrificed at the altar of “cost control”.

My challenge is to those people (mainly of the Right, though that’s not to say I entirely agree with their critique) with wealth who moan that the media is “too liberal” or “too left wing”. To them I say: do something about it. Establish more media. Invest in staff. Let those staff publish what they find, without proprietorial influence or interference.

Ouch. Harsh but fair.

Isn’t it time NZ had an MSM outlet which actually served the public with robust investigative journalism rather than simply cut newsroom costs to improve its balance sheet?

So when will some of the people who claim to be unhappy with the way the media operates put their (considerable) money where their mouths are and invest in increasing the diversity of NZ’s media?

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2008/05/good-look-for-police.html

So I guess I’m not the only one that’s ‘confused’. How about …

Winston
Dail
NZF Bankers
NZF Auditors
The Electoral Commission
and most of all, Joe Public

explaination required!!!!!! (but I’m not holding my breath)

I suspect it won’t be an issue once Labour pass retrospective validating legislation and let all parties who broke the law have a get out of jail card.

Move on! Others were doing it too! It’s confusing! It’s the way it’s always been done!

What other excuse will you happily accept from Labour but not tolerate from any other party?

I smell a rat, the money has gone to another entity which will try to sneak it in later

Is no-one responsible for auditing these returns?

Rhetorical question, natch.

What a hoot! No-one has donated anything to NZ First!!!!!

That’s what’s been declared. Are they honest? Let the voters decide.

They got rid of that quite some time ago. Now it’s just a subsidized pension scheme like any other employer might have.