Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Looking at Leveson

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  • Russell Brown,

    Today's extreme weather saw Bryan Gould's flight from Tauranga cancelled and any thought of driving the distance swiftly abandoned. Toby Manhire stepped ably into the breach for this evening's recording.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Barnard, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    tell that to the FCC …

    Yeah well, that ship sailed a long time ago.
    Another thing that struck me living there was the extent to which the landscape/culture was largely accepted, or at least most people had given up hoping it would change (you can't turn back time).

    I think the one thing those who've argued that beyond the criminality it was mostly Guardian/Liberal elite beat up got right, was that without the Millie Dowler accusations it would never have got much traction beyond the so called 'chattering classes', and the BSkyB deal would have gone through.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2012 • 72 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    Interesting (and not wholly off-topic) NYer article on Elisabeth Murdoch. Her 2011 McTaggart Lecture is also worth a look.
    The idea is abroad that she's well-positioned to take a key role at News Corp.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    tell that to the FCC ...

    So maybe the Leveson Inquiry could be looked at from an anti-trust perspective, instead of a free press perspective. Al Capone never got nabbed for a single murder, but tax evasion was his fatal weakness.

    I think the one thing those who've argued that beyond the criminality it was mostly Guardian/Liberal elite beat up got right, was that without the Millie Dowler accusations it would never have got much traction beyond the so called 'chattering classes', and the BSkyB deal would have gone through.

    As they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant. And if there's no sunlight, then leaks are an even better disinfectant.

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

  • Kumara Republic,

    Reporters Without Borders' view on the Leveson Inquiry: proceed with caution.

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

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    Solar max...

    As they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant.
    And if there’s no sunlight...

    ...Cosmic rays, Gamma radiation and
    microwaves will do the job...

    There are even moves afoot to 'zap' all food
    to get rid of those pesky (uncopyrightable?) bacteria !
    aren't the great food corporations helpful?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh,

    And just what are we to make of this?

    The blurring of lines in television is part of a wider trend in media to exert greater marketing influence over news values, emphasising news as a commodity rather than a service.

    Maybe I'm getting old, but I'd really rather be informed than marketed to.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Barnard,

    In the weird worst of all worlds that is TVNZ you don't have a choice.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2012 • 72 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Barnard,

    In the weird worst of all worlds that is TVNZ you don’t have a choice.

    Unfortunately right. Unaccountable state bureaucracy + private-sector materialistic crassness = a law unto itself.

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

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Enough!!
    It's not just the papers, is it?
    Radio, TV, and the Net weigh in as media riddled with self entitled, ill considered behaviours, tacitly condoned and enabled by lack of consequences for harms done.
    Case in point - this sad story I read this morning:

    A nurse who took a prank call at the London hospital that was treating Prince William's pregnant wife Kate for morning sickness has been found dead, the hospital said.
    The nurse, Jacintha Saldanha, was a 46-year-old mother of two.
    The death, which is being treated as a suspected suicide, comes days after the King Edward VII hospital apologised after falling for the call from an Australian radio station and relaying details about Kate's condition.

    I hope that the Australian radio announcers who perpetrated this are pilloried, if not prosecuted - this is effectively cyber bullying of strangers. They ended up pushing this poor nurse into the limelight, and too far, purely to amuse themselves - abhorrent.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Robert Urquhart, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    They ended up pushing this poor nurse into the limelight, and too far, purely to amuse themselves – abhorrent.

    And in fact this was the nurse who originally took the call because there was no-one at reception at something like 5:30am in the morning - not the one who later gave out the details (on a line she must have had even reason to believe had been properly vetted) who must be feeling even worse right now :(

    I personally absolutely loathe prank situations and calls, those perpetuated by the media most of all, and this is an extreme and very sad example of why.

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2009 • 163 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    I hope that the Australian radio announcers who perpetrated this are pilloried, if not prosecuted

    They have gone

    Also to note. the Herald writes ”Police say death not suspicious" Double speak? It almost glosses over the tragedy.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    Also to note. the Herald writes ”Police say death not suspicious” Double speak? It almost glosses over the tragedy.

    More often than not, it’s a euphemism for suicide. These fellas make Iain Stables look like Dougal Stevenson.

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

  • Martin Lindberg, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    More often than not, it’s a euphemism for suicide.

    Certainly in this case: http://www.smh.com.au/world/nurse-at-kates-hospital-who-took-prank-call-from-sydney-djs-suicides-20121208-2b1u2.html

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    If you missed this morning's Media3, you can watch it on-demand here.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    More often than not, it’s a euphemism for suicide. These fellas make Iain Stables look like Dougal Stevenson.

    I was under the impression there were rules about the reporting of suicides, the weak justification being that they don't want people to read about a suicide and try it out for themselves. I may be wrong, but my understanding is that the NZ media is required by law to report it in euphemism.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Yes, it is usually encoded, as in There were no suspicious circumstances

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    A terrible outcome but if it put an end to such prank calls, something good may come of it. They are usually so piss-weak and designed to get cheap laughs by humiliating people.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    And it's far from the first time 2Day FM has been in the gun. This time, though, it could be a knockout blow.

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

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Geoff Lealand,

    Yes, it is usually encoded,

    But more and more I am seeing examples such as that which Ian linked to. I vaguely recall some changes to reporting being changed not so long back.
    I wonder though if we actually are confronted with the truth ,we may well be able to handle issues better instead of the cotton wool all the time. Probably not put the best way either, but it may force the likes of legislation to change for the benefit of educating about the tragedy that is suicide.
    I happened to run into someone I know recently, who had a 9 year old family member commit suicide and she said how dumbfounded they all were. I don't think the child had anywhere for help. The rural communities are quite different from the city. We need more education and help that is funded by our Government not funding cuts like another crisis line I was approached about yesterday.
    Ok waaaay off topic, rant over.
    coat getting.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Barnard,

    I don't think it's way off topic as well, as I think we're all still pretty crap at appreciating the way mental health works, and the way stuff that's done & said can effect people.

    If it highlights that trying to humiliate people for a laugh can have consequences something good may come of it. It may also get people to stop and think about the disconnect between what we see & hear and the the people on the end of it.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2012 • 72 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    I don't think such laws apply to overseas deaths, just to NZ.

    But anyway, I'm surprised that anyone hasn't suggested that fault is with the British royals for being so fucking precious that putting through a prank call is a big issue?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    the British royals for being so fucking precious

    Given that this comes so hard on the heels of the Leveson inquiry and the decades of invasions of privacy they've had to suffer at the hands of the British press, I'm not about to go accusing them of being precious unless you can provide evidence that their treatment of the nurse was unreasonable and over the top. I'm not a great fan of the monarchy and I generally avoid news coverage of them, but I haven't seen any headline (about all I read of the royals unless it's about something actually important) suggesting they might have been so. And they're just as deserving of a fair go as anybody else.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    ’m not a great fan of the monarchy and I generally avoid news coverage of them, but I haven’t seen any headline (about all I read of the royals unless it’s about something actually important) suggesting they might have been so. And they’re just as deserving of a fair go as anybody else.

    Chris, I'm patron of the ANZ Republican Movement and have absolutely no time for foreign (or other) monarchs - but I totally agree with you. This was a stupid stunt carried out by stupid radio jocks which had disasterous consequences. The only blame attaches to those stupid fuckwits - and may they eventually acknowledge their stupid fuckwittery-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    Charles himself said to a journalist questioning his view of the call something along the lines of "how do you know I wasn't at the Radio station?" hardly too precious?
    He may be regretting that comment now however. And Kate will probably be devastated, adding to her troubles of pregnancy and William will probably feel the anguish of his Mum's constant haranguing by the press and the list of repercussions will go on for history.
    Geez, just a little privacy huh? Not too much to ask for.
    We are still in the Gladiator ring baying for blood.
    We are the feeding frenzy .
    Ugh.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

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