Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Criminalising Journalism

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  • Juha Saarinen,

    Well put. This is getting completely out of hand.

    Since Nov 2006 • 529 posts Report

  • Caleb D'Anvers,

    Perhaps if the NZ news media had been a little less supine and a little more willing to critique "nice guy John" back in 2007 and 2008, they wouldn't be in this position now. Bullies can't function without enablers, after all.

    London SE16 • Since Mar 2008 • 482 posts Report

  • Brian Murphy,

    3 Strikes laws, attempts to reduce our right to trial by jury, getting rid of the presumption of innocence, guilt by accusation (copyright laws, and suspending benefits for people with arrest warrants).(suspended on full pay anyone?)

    When talking up what previous generations fought and died for, it was not the Flag, but this sort of stuff.

    The National/Act parts of the govt have been very happily playing on that slippery slope.

    Very much looking for convenient justice, reality TV justice.

    Principles.... Pah!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 48 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Caleb D'Anvers,

    Perhaps if the NZ news media had been a little less supine and a little more willing to critique "nice guy John" back in 2007 and 2008, they wouldn't be in this position now. Bullies can't function without enablers, after all.

    Key's, er, key trait seems to be a desire to be liked, by everyone - except people he can dismiss as irrelevant. By pushing this, the media have put themselves in the group of people who maybe don't like him - but they can't be dismissed as irrelevant. They convey his message. He needs them to like him. Hence, meltdown.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • merc,

    The case to answer would be fascinating, especially if the person involved is a freelancer. The details of the search warrant will be nice to have, I want to know how RNZ gets tied in. This is revenge make no mistake about it, and must be viewed as such. Nice guy John indeed. The use of the office of PM to trigger a police search warrant in order to gag himself, and yet this very act convicts him, for AFAIK the PM cannot refuse to talk with the media in any functioning democracy. Our rights have been ridden over rough as shod.
    From my own personal research team ;-)
    A vote for John = my tax is for me.
    A vote for Phil = my tax is for everyone

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    You know, a part of me is wondering if the police are effectively saying to Key: "You wanted a criminal investigation? This is a criminal investigation."

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • merc,

    John we want guns...and lots more money mmmmkay?

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report

  • Chris Burgess,

    If it was recorded on a radio mic, has it not already been "broadcast" to any unknown number of listeners as it happened? It was probably just the one device capturing the audio, but might have been several.

    Sounds like the recording is already widely distributed and the angle here is preventing mass publishing anyway, so maybe that's not significant.

    ... Why do we allow politicians to get away with "I don't recall" so often? I wouldn't believe that reply from my four year old son if it happened as often.

    Dunedin, NZ • Since Nov 2011 • 1 posts Report

  • James Butler, in reply to Russell Brown,

    You know, a part of me is wondering if the police are effectively saying to Key: “You wanted a criminal investigation? This is a criminal investigation.”

    Oh god I hope so. I would take back every bad thing I've ever said about the NZ Police.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report

  • Jonathan King,

    Why do we allow politicians to get away with “I don’t recall” so often? I wouldn’t believe that reply from my four year old son if it happened as often.

    A-fucking-men.

    The other night when Banks finally admitted that, actually, he did remember what was said, then why wasn't the next question 'So you were lying when you said you didn't remember?'?

    Since Sep 2010 • 185 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to merc,

    the PM cannot refuse to talk with the media in any functioning democracy

    yet that is precisely what has been going on for the past few years

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • merc,

    And then trigger the police to ratify the lack of recall.
    Letter commenters on Stuff and in the Herald don't seem to realise that the media are one of the main pillars of any democracy, so yes Russell is correct, this is an attack from the PM using the police to deny democracy.
    We must write the infamy ;-)

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Chris Burgess,

    Why do we allow politicians to get away with "I don't recall" so often?

    I'd really like to see more journos laughing in the face of anyone trotting out lines like that.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • linger,

    Can Key now recall the police?

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report

  • merc, in reply to linger,

    Can Key now recall the tapes?

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report

  • linger, in reply to Sacha,

    I’d really like to see more journos laughing in the face

    ... of any politician spouting waffle, really.
    I'd also like to hear the line "No, seriously, what's your actual policy on this matter?" used more often. Or at all.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report

  • merc,

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5982946/Police-ask-RNZ-for-unpublished-tea-tape-saga-interviews
    This debate is very healthy I reckon and the media are doing a sterling job, for them now, the stakes are very high. I love the letters comparing this to the Urewera 17, and then the line...I'd rather live in a nanny state than a police state.
    Rock and roll.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report

  • Paul Williams, in reply to linger,

    ... of any politician spouting waffle, really.
    I'd also like to hear the line "No, seriously, what's your actual policy on this matter?" used more often. Or at all.

    An Australian Broadcasting Authority morning drive show, Virginia Triolli, once told the then NSW Premier Iemma (circa 2008) that she'd not be inviting him back on air as he never answered the questions and simply stuck to speaking points. Loved it.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    A cynical part of me agrees with Russell's wedge hypothesis. That's why I've been saying that the other parties should steer well clear of this.

    If it's a deliberate strategy by Key, it's an incredibly risky one. Alienating the media just before an election is madness, and speaks of confidence so high that sense has been lost. Yes, the media can be intimidated with threats not to talk to them, which hits their back pocket, but they can't really be intimidated by any other kinds of threats, indeed they live for them, they make them relevant.

    It's incredibly short sighted too, a misreading of MMP. Even if the Nats don't suffer too badly at the polls, if they don't win outright, the media will be able to talk up that a government formed without the biggest party isn't an outrage at all, indeed it's the only answer to a government that won't even discuss policy. Even Granny will be saying this, if they're seriously being threatened with criminal charges for doing their jobs.

    The only upside for National is that it draws attention away from policy, and it draws attention from every other party away too. But it's negative attention National is getting.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to BenWilson,

    speaks of confidence so high that sense has been lost

    You can see why voters traditionally prefer not to let any party rule unfettered..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Paul Williams, in reply to BenWilson,

    The only upside for National is that it draws attention away from policy, and it draws attention from every other party away too. But it's negative attention National is getting

    If National's strategy was to leverage Key's popularity, which based on the billboards, it was, then the long this goes the more difficult that becomes. National might be suffering from having few, if any, secondary brands (by which I mean the non-polarising personalities eg. Power).

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic,

    Mai Chen says yes to playing the tapes. Darth George says no. Make of it what you will.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • Joshua Drummond,

    A while back we were seeing Republican candidates literally fleeing news cameras every time they were pointed at them, and conducting interviews only with outlets and journalists that were thoroughly vetted and considered "friendly."

    I realise it's a long shot, but I'm starting to wonder if we're seeing the same thing here. That is if this media alienation is an actual tactic. I'm starting to wonder if it's just sheer incompetence. It's not as though politicians tend to do much better than journalists in "most trusted" surveys.

    Since Nov 2006 • 119 posts Report

  • Terry Baucher,

    Muldoonism anyone?

    Devonport • Since Nov 2008 • 91 posts Report

  • merc,

    Bushism if we see any problems with the voting counts.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report

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