Most biased article for a while

If you want a shocking example of a hideously biased article, try one by Chris Barton in the NZ herald on VSM.

It does nothing but attack supporters of VSM, without even giving them a word in response, and uses propoganda exmaples from as many as possible.

It paints the increase in the student services levy at university to $542 as due to VSM, and doesn't even mention that on other campuses it has risen to $600 (plus a compulsory student association fee).

It lumps together National, ACT and the Business Roundtable together and ascribes motives to them – without again talking to a single person from them.

It fauls to mention the vote to return to compulsion was scheduled by former Labour MP to occur with no notice during study week, and hence a tiny number of students over-turned the results of three previous votes with much higher turnouts.

It quotes a legal opinion from former Labour PM Geoffrey Palmer that compulsory membership doesn't breahc the international human right not to associate. It doesn't mention the legal opinion submitted from a leading disagreeing with Palmer's opinion.

The article would be fine as an op ed from NZUSA or the such – I have no problem with the running anti-VSM views. But when it appears as a new by an in house journalist, I'm amazed such a biased story appears.

Odddly the journalist is one I really rate – I just think this particular story is shiockingly bad.

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