Getting it right
September 1st, 2008 at 5:00 pm by David FarrarAdam Smith points out that both the NZ Herald and Radio NZ have repeated the incorrect assertion in Labour’s press release that Jacinda Ardern’s employer (Sir Ronnie Flanagan) is the UK Home Secretary.
What has happened to fact checkers in the media?
Sir Ronald is in fact not even an MP. He is a professional cop working in the Home Office.
Note that I am not in any way suggesting Ardern is respondisble for promoting her boss to Home Secretary. I suspect someone in Labour just summarised her CV incorrectly.
September 1st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Labour says it and they print it.
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Cynically I suspect Stuff did not make the mistake is because they wrote a shorter precis of the press release
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Maybe when confronted by two conflicting claims:
1. That Jacqui Smith is the Home Secretary. A claim made by the UK Government, the UK High Commission, the World Wide Web, and the international media; and
2. That Ronald Flanagan is the Home Secretary. A claim made by Jacinda Ardern;
then Helen Clark decided that she must take Ardern’s word without further checking. And that anyone who claims that Flanagan isn’t the Home Secretary must be part of some giant conspiracy.
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 6:00 pm
The practice of simply regurgitating press releases and calling it news has been around for as long as there has been lazy journalism. But it was still very interesting to see Cadburys up the ante a couple of weeks ago and release their own “news report” of the CEO appearing to respond to questioning by journalists about job cuts. It was in fact an internally scripted and staged video media release.
Media Watch on Sunday morning picked up on this story and reckoned that this was an example of a new and growing trend in Australia. I suppose it had to happen, but it is still very cynical.
What this means for us poor punters is that, increasingly, we cannot trust whether we’re being served up responsibly-investigated news items or being spoon-fed unadulterated spin.
On the plus side though, there’s bound to be a backlash and it could be where the blogsphere comes into its own…
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Aw, c’mon. As a party in opposition, Labour just doesn’t have the staff numbers to check everything. Oh. Wait. That’s the future, isn’t it. Sorry.
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I’ve heard it suggested that this might be behind ‘Dr’ Maryanne Thompson. CV states she studied for a PhD at the LSE, but doesn’t refer to her as “Dr” or having graduated. Comms person in ministry puts out media reads CV and puts out media advisory calling her Dr Thompson. Maryanne never refers to herself as Dr Thompson, but is too embarrassed after finding out (perhaps some time later) of the mix-up.
Hilarity ensues.
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I mentioned to one of Jacinda Ardern’s old schoolmates that Jacinda was virtually assured of a place in parliament.
Vote:She replied, “What party is she in?”
Most people of Jacinda’s age could not give a tuppenny half penny stuff about politics. And Helen Clark knows that. That is why she is so expert at tempting their ignorant attitudes. I hear it time and time again on talkback radio. I am desperately scared for my country that Clark & Co will get re-elected. Would somebody please cheer me up.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Fact checkers… you mean subs and journalists. They were “streamlined”. There is no newsroom in the country that could even dream of going through detail on the cv of every list candidate in the country. But as those who have made it to Parliament or on to higher office they usually get caught out eventually. Remember the United Future guy what’s his name… after that we asked all Doctors in Parliament to show us their thesis. God they were boring. I think Mapp’s was the worst
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I commented on this here over at No Minister and I think here too.
Vote:It is true that the media does not employ subs of sufficient number and intelligence to spot these howlers.
It also highlights how much trust they place in Liarbour.
If Dear Leader said the moon was made of green cheese, they would obviously believe her.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Well they believed her claim about the SFO.
Vote:Even if it was refusted by both John Key and the SFO.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Does it mean we are getting their infamous ID card here too?
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Jacinda Ardern is just starting as she means to go on. Isn’t it a requirement of becoming a Labour MP to be able to lie and lie badly?
Vote:September 2nd, 2008 at 8:46 am
A good way for media corporations to ‘increase output’ is to churn out more stories, with less time for fact-checking. Hurrah!
Vote:September 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 am
My God. Lies, misinformation, incompetence and Ronnie Flanagan all in the one post. Some things never change. I’m not sure why anyone would boast of having worked with Big Ron, to be honest. Can’t look good on a CV, especially not if you’re looking to get picked for the socialists’ team.
Vote: