Beware NZ media

What has just happened in Western Australia should send a chill up the backsides of NZ media as they look to expose Government funded advertising campaigns this year:

Sixteen police raided the newsroom of News Ltd’s The Sunday Times Wednesday, acting on a complaint from the office of Premier Alan Carpenter, himself a former journalist.

The fraud squad was trying to find who leaked information about a government decision to spend $A16 million in taxpayers’ money on an advertising campaign, allegedly intended to help Labour’s bid for re-election. …

The newspaper article, written by staff reporter Paul Lampathakis and published in February, quoted “government sources” as saying the $A16 million was to be spent on strategic advertising campaigns ahead of an upcoming election.

It said Mr Ripper, as chairman of the cabinet subcommittee on communication, had “urgently” asked the expenditure review committee, which he chaired, for $A5.25 million for the first half of the year and a further $A10.75 million until July next year. …

Incredible.