A big cheer for the media
Winston did a speech on Friday, where he attached the media endlessly. This is a deliberate tactic to try and go up in the polls as journalists are not much more popular than politicians. Winston’s entire career has been built on attacking unpopular groups.
Now I have been known to criticise the media from time to time myself. And when it is justified I’ll keep doing that. But for today I want us to reflect on the debt of gratitude we owe the media for letting the public learn the truth. Without the media, we would probably never know:
- That the Vela Family have donated $230,000 to NZ First
- That Owen Glenn donated $100,000 to cover Winston Peters legal costs
- That the Spencer Trust even existed
- That Winston’s parliamentary staff solicit money for him/NZ First
- That Owen Glenn says Winston solicited the $100,000 from him and asked for it to be kept confidential
- That NZ First has filed false donation returns to the Electoral Commission
- That NZ First has received many donations from big business, contrary to their claims
- That NZ First uses a trust to hide the identity of donors – a practice it criticises other parties for doing
Winston said in his speech:
Except in rare and exceptional circumstances, or a ratings war, there is one group who will not be the subject of a concerted campaign of vilification and disparagement by the media.
That group is the media itself.
They are like a school of piranhas circling society, seeking to slash, tear, maim and destroy anything that shows any signs of weakness, non-conformity or heaven forbid – criticises the media.
This is all a cover. What Winston is really angry about is the fact the the public now know the truth about how NZ First is funded. Without the media Owen Glenn’s donation would never have been made public. Without the media, NZ First would still be filing false donation returns to the Electoral Commission. We owe the media thanks for being willing to endure abuse and threats from Peters, so the truth will emerge.
September 15th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Two views of the media, both correct:
All bad men fear the Press, and it is good that they should; for it tears away their masks. Whether or not we can create a new and better world depends on the good sense and wisdom of people everywhere – and they in turn depend on accurate and responsible journalism.
- Lord Cobham, Governor General of New Zealand 1957-62
When I was in a position to know exactly what was going on, it too often seemed to me that the media was an ever-bubbling spring of endless lies, misrepresentations and distortions.
- Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Prime Minister 1989-90
September 15th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Did anyone notice the Whiny is using “we” more and more when he is, in fact, referring to himself?
It’s one thing to be reported as being the King/Queen maker, but another entirely to adopt a Royal prerogative! Last time I remember someone doing that it was the Iron Lady herself, when she pronounced “we are a grandmother!” At the following election she was routed.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:01 am
“We” means “Helen and I”.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Dear oh dear, David, you’ve stretched it a bit too far. Is this the first sign of a covert National party strategy to snuggle up the media so they’re encouraged to stop being such prats? You are aware of course that the leftwing MSM will never stop attacking National, conservatives, big business, christians, rich pricks or anyone else who isn’t liberal minded jelly. They will resist at every turn to print the truth, delay opinion or check facts.
Waiting without holding breath for the list of all the good that individuals and bloggers outside the media have done to further an investigation into NZ First’s activities.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Seemed like it was always the Dominion Post more than ‘the media’, but I could be wrong.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Nope. Can’t agree at all. The media IMHO are a bunch of slack-arsed left wingers who only do half their jobs. Sure, they’ve improved a little bit lately, but if it hadn’t been for the blogosphere, they’d still be the same old same old left wing propagandists and control freaks, suppressing views that confronted the approved left wing view. Especially the print media who appear to want to make themselves as much like the extreme left New York Times as possible. (and bash Sarah Palin endlessly)
With massive lay offs in the industry, and advertising revenues falling, its clear they’re not needed any more. Shame really. All they needed to do was their job. Shine light on the deceit. To the contrary, all they’ve done now for decades is promote that deceit. From Global Warming to smearing George Bush to the Iraq war “failure”, to their advocacy for Barack Obama and their disdain for Sarah Palin, to their nit picking enthusiastic persecution of Don Brash to their partisan reluctance to question Klark on the $100,000 and the recent example of their laziness with Rochelle Rees/ John Key/ clueless, they’ve proved themselves to be charlatans and dinosaurs. Sooner they’re gone the better. We now have the internet, and that’s where one sees the light being shone these days. The media are redundant, and they’ve only themselves to blame.
[With apologies to the few who do actually try to do their job.]
September 15th, 2008 at 11:10 am
The Foruth Estate is supposed to hold politicians to account. Given journalists are human they do this with varying degrees of ability but contrary to Peters’ assertion they aren’t usually personally motivated.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:14 am
They’re still covering for Klark on the $100,000 too. Going along with her attempt to divert attention from fraud by calling an election. Here’s the question you need to ask “journos”- Why did Klark and her cronies direct Owen Glenn to give $100,000 to NZ First?
September 15th, 2008 at 11:17 am
homepaddock – Froth Estate might have been even closer.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:25 am
If MSM are Piranha, would that make Winston ‘Chum’ ?
Looking forward to the day when Helengrad becomes the peoples republic of Keydom instead.
Also, anyone else watch the Campaign 08 show last night, media (Barry Soper, Audry Young, Colin Espiner & Bill Ralston) vs Rodney Hide. I thought Hide came across quite well, but took a bit of a beating on the Roger Douglas front.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:27 am
The media used to be full of left wingers until Labour made a strategic error: they hired them all. Most of the left-wing media have joined the massed ranks of communications managers and media advisers peddling govt propaganda because they get paid so much more when taxpayers are footing the bill. With some exceptions, the only reporters left unhired by the govt are the right wingers and the ones who are genuinely unbiased. This is one reason why the media has turned on the Govt.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:30 am
“Also, anyone else watch the Campaign 08 show last night, media (Barry Soper, Audry Young, Colin Espiner & Bill Ralston) vs Rodney Hide.”
Jezuz. I didn’t, but you see, that’s it. Where’s the damn balance?? Left wing pseudo liberals from wall to wall. All Colmes and no Hannity. All Greta and no O’Reilly. Hopeless.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:34 am
“With some exceptions, the only reporters left unhired by the govt are the right wingers and the ones who are genuinely unbiased.”
Name some of them.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:38 am
S.Russell, that is an interesting possibility…….
Redbaiter, good stuff as usual. Another question I want to see the media try and answer, is, why Owen Glenn would “support” this regime…..I think the plausible answer would be that he merely wanted a favour, the honorary consulship to Monaco, and the colour of the regime that gave it to him was irrelevant.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:47 am
“I think the plausible answer would be that he merely wanted a favour, the honorary consulship to Monaco, and the colour of the regime that gave it to him was irrelevant.”
Yeah, I reckon that could be right Phil, and the Foreign Minister’s assent was key to the granting of that favour. Hence the pay off. ..and the two politiicans behind this cynical fraud still remain as heads of their parties. A shame for NZ, with such a lame gutless politically partisan media and a sheep like population, thirty per cent who will vote for Labour no matter what, we descend into the gutter with Mugabe and Chavez, and still there is no real outcry. Cheers for the media?? Yeah right. Like I would cheer for the media in Venezuela.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Redbaiter – it’s available online, tis about 20 long.
http://www.campaign08.co.nz/
/sorry for the link.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Bryce Edwards did a post on ‘The politics of Owen Glenn’ in March…
September 15th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Dont forget to vote! Another TV3 poll running
http://www.3news.co.nz/Default.aspx
Have Your Say
Which party will you vote for?
Labour 32%
National 41%
Green 8%
United Future 1%
NZ First 3%
Maori 1%
ACT 10%
Progressive 1%
Other 1%
Don’t know 3%
September 15th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
The two cynical cronyists remain as leader of their respective parties, but wait.. there’s more..!!
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE DAMN GALL TO SEEK RE-ELECTION.
Now if that does not show contempt for the NZ population, and the NZ media, then what does. These two duplicitous creeps are obviously acting on the assumption that as usual, they’ll get a relatively free ride from a politically sympathetic media, who will at the drop of a partisan hat, distract attention from their own deceit, and find some perceived dishonesty to beat up the nasty untrustworthy rich prick John Key with. Like they did with Brash last election.
National not only has to fight the Labour party, they have to fight a mainstream media almost totally infested with Labour party drones.
Why else Klark’s desire to see the election fought on “trust”? What she means is no light shone on her deceit, but a beat up of some piddling probably false allegation about John Key. Without the media in her pocket, Klark wouldn’t have the nerve to try such a farcical strategy. Just watch. You’ll see I’m dead right.
September 15th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
One can only hope the media cover’s NZ First’s policy statements as rigorously…
September 15th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
“I think the plausible answer would be that he merely wanted a favour, the honorary consulship to Monaco, and the colour of the regime that gave it to him was irrelevant.”
Don’t forget Glenn’s friendship and philanthropy with Howard Morrison during the Brash period as Nat leader. I doubt he would have been getting good reports after the Orewa Speech. Also, he’s been away for a long time and probably harboured somewhat romantic views of Labour.
JC
September 15th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Well, I see the objective and informed contributor s.russell has found time to contribute generously to other threads, but not to answer the simple question above. Just shows you, don’t it.
September 15th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
T. Jefferson:
Pricks!
September 15th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
On the jounalist’s side the most shameful performance was Barry Soper’s, who could hardly hide his pro-Labour leanings.
His animosity against Winston Peters (the sentiment is reciprocated) do not change the fact that Soper is “boots-and-all” a cheerleader for the Labour Party. If a guy like Soper is at the top of the profession, I despair for the rest.
The quality of NZ journalism is at its lowest ebb, plain rock-bottom.
September 15th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
The MSM is still full of Socialists that favor Labour. They are following the habits of a lifetime in many cases. They are not likely to ask Labour, Green, and Maori MPs tough questions. They usually get a fairly easy ride. With the advent of ‘alternative media’, the MSM is thinning out. The news cycle is 24-7-365. So they have to have something [anything] to report on all the time. They are also competing with the ‘new media’ for ad revenue. Theirs is falling, hence the layoffs. I suspect that most of us here get our news from our favorite blogs, or news forums. I get my US news from a news forum. I don’t bother with MSM websites at all. They’re totally in the tank for the Democtats. For NZ news, I still look at stuff.co.nz, but only out of habit. Now I use this forum. A National Party friend put me on to Kiwi Blog when I was back in NZ recently. I get Korean news from the Korean Herald. They don’t seem to be in the tank for anyone. I’ve bought and read two or three newspapers since leaving in 2003. If I was in NZ, I would only watch news items linked from here.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I would have to admit, that recently the ews expressed in this forum have gone a long way to shaping my ploitical opinion, a lot more than the MSM! Basically I can see arguments for and against, research and form my own opinion, devoid of spin and focus groups.
Plus the left wing BS merchants do not really make a case!