Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Media Take and Godwin's Election

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  • George Darroch,

    To answer your questions: No, they do not do basic research.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Stephen Judd,

    Don’t these experienced journalists get that they’re being fed this stuff in a deliberate fashion?

    They don’t care. Political bias aside, controversy is fun, facts are boring, and politics is basically gossip with uglier celebrities.

    Yes, I really think that.

    (Added later) The entertainment side of the business has taken over.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report

  • Pete George,

    The big news from the electorate meeting in Kumeu last night was that, despite all the talking up in advance by media, there were "no fireworks", it was "disappointing" to k=mainly talk about local electorate issues etc etc.

    Last election media pushed and pushed before Key made his big mistake and had a cup of tea, and the media were happy with what they had conjured out of the campaign.

    It's just a matter of time before one of their provocations reaps headline rewards and another election will have been hijacked by an out of control media that no one can hold to account in any effective time frame.

    We have a democracy that is increasingly ruled by celebrity dominated headlines, sound bites and competing egos - of journalists.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2011 • 139 posts Report

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to George Darroch,

    No, they do not do basic research.

    I don't believe that.

    I believe they see the opportunity to increase their ratings and providing they don't make themselves vulnerable to legal action the media can and will say whatever the hell they think will get the ratings.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Rob Stowell,

    Sick to death of the blather about 'dirty politics'. Since that apparently includes strategic voting (god forbid a party think strategically?) it's become a completely meaningless term (Thanks, Mr Gower.)
    "F8ck Whomeva" and burning in effigy are neither new nor especially scandalous except to the naive and hyperbolic. (Certainly not to anyone who lived through the Muldoon years.) Not especially smart, but who says letting off steam has to be smart?
    Yeah- it's increasingly, embarrassingly obvious: conflict and 'gotcha' are the things the news will headline, and keep rolling. Policy is too dull. The incentive, then, is for all parties to manufacture these saleable items- a downhill spiral we can all watch on our 32" flat-screens.
    On the positive side, we have the despised internet forum, home to hot-heads and invective. Where there's a good chance you'll find serious, extended debate.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report

  • matthew,

    Rawdon Christie is an entertainer not a journalist. I was disappointed that he interviewed laila harre this morning when corin dann who has muxh better journalistic credentialls was right there in the studio. It certainly shows how tvnz prioritizes infotainment over serious content.

    auckland • Since Nov 2013 • 22 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to matthew,

    For a commercial broadcaster like TVNZ, it’s about ‘brand’ rather than journalism. Hence Hosking being involved in any way in a political debate show.

    If media industry regulation was compulsory and serious, a good few ‘journalists’ might be held accountable for not doing their job. I’d welcome them and those who publish their tattle losing their legal protections as soon as they start behaving like village gossip-mongers telling power to truth.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Christie’s defence was effectively that it seemed like it might be true and it was up to Harre to “clarify” it.

    Isn't that the LBJ Playbook?

    As the old saying goes, If you're explaining, you're losing. Or, more pungently, there's the (possibly true!) story about LBJ spreading a rumor that his opponent was a pig-f*cker. Aide: "Lyndon, you know he doesn't do that!" Johnson: "I know. I just want to make him deny it."
    If you're denying, you're losing .

    source

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    If you’re denying then you don’t have any time to communicate positively.

    About time media started reporting where these smears are coming from, and whose interests they serve.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to ,

    ...fishing for sound bites, not information.

    "Espiner: putting the 'chum' in chump change"

    or is it more....
    "Whitebaiting - frothing at the mouth"

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Isn’t that the LBJ Playbook?

    As the old saying goes, If you’re explaining, you’re losing. Or, more pungently, there’s the (possibly true!) story about LBJ spreading a rumor that his opponent was a pig-f*cker. Aide: “Lyndon, you know he doesn’t do that!” Johnson: “I know. I just want to make him deny it.”
    If you’re denying, you’re losing .

    And it was only a matter of time before LBJ’s enablers were defending him from an allegation of necrophilia.
    For the most part, NZ political commentary is a sheltered workshop.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to matthew,

    Rawdon Christie is an entertainer not a journalist. I was disappointed that he interviewed laila harre this morning when corin dann who has muxh better journalistic credentialls was right there in the studio. It certainly shows how tvnz prioritizes infotainment over serious content.

    TVNZ has been a public broadcaster in name only for some time, and it seems too long gone to fix. I'm tempted to think it should be liquidated or even sold off, and a new organisation re-established in its place.

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

  • Sacha,

    Christie’s defence was effectively that it seemed like it might be true and it was up to Harre to “clarify” it.

    Don’t these experienced journalists get that they’re being fed this stuff in a deliberate fashion?

    The ‘news’ culture he is part of seems to believe it is Harre’s job to correct any slurs they broadcast. He said exactly that in the clip (4m50). Downright lazy - and defensive with it.

    If you want to editorialise, get your facts from sources other than sewerblogs.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • ChrisW,

    (and I really only slightly exagerrate there)

    And I see something of an ina-curate curate’s egg there
    (with thanks for Rich Lock’s refresher. Worth following the link for Punch’s swansong updating of the curate’s statement – “This f***ing egg’s off”.

    Gisborne • Since Apr 2009 • 851 posts Report

  • Russell Brown, in reply to ChrisW,

    And I see something of an ina-curate curate’s egg there

    Gizza break. We have no spellcheck in our CMS and I wrote two posts before going to my morning meeting at the day job! Fixed now.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    Psst, we can always email Russell (via that envelope icon on each comment he posts) if we spot typos. He fixes them too.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Bart Janssen,

    And it seems now political satire is under attack
    Darren Watson's video Planet Key apparently cannot be played by the media.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • ChrisW, in reply to Sacha,

    There's something in that too, thanks.
    Wasn't meaning to needle Russell. I'm very susceptible to the double letter typos myself and was just enjoying my new impression of 'exaggerate' as eggsacurate - parts of it were excellent!
    But didn't manage to crack it as IanD might.

    Gisborne • Since Apr 2009 • 851 posts Report

  • Russell Brown, in reply to ChrisW,

    Wasn’t meaning to needle Russell.

    Oh, I know. No problem.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Marc C,

    From Russell's post, quote:
    "Don’t these experienced journalists get that they’re being fed this stuff in a deliberate fashion? More to the point, don’t they read my blog? At any rate, Harre tore strips off Christie, who, as someone observed on Twitter, looked like he might cry."

    With Twitter tweets now being a regular form of "communication", I fear that too many are simply too busy tweeting each other, which limits the amount of information that is being shared.

    Also is the modern "journalism" dictated by lots of time and cost pressures, and so much has to be squeezed into a few lines, it is disturbing, but perhaps not surprising that fewer bother to double check, research information, or even spend hours reading this and other blogs.

    I am waiting to see how low standards will continue to drop, as we need a bottoming out of this, and move upwards again. But also too few out in the watching and listening public notice incorrect, contradictory information, as they themselves have rather superficial information and knowledge.

    For politicians life may become easier in future, as it will increasingly all be about spinning and hammering out one sided information, no matter what, people are kept so busy with day to day survival, they have less and less time to dissect truth from propaganda.

    And anyway, more and more information on the internet may only confuse some, so they rather choose to not inquire, and wear blinkers and dig heads in the sand. There are so many "nice" distractions, why bother with painful efforts of researching complex stuff.

    Study and knowledge require work and can bring rewards, but the less informed may be happier, as visits to poorer parts of the globe can show.

    Sigh, bring us the "brighter future" now, ahem, what was that again? It does not look all that "bright" after all.

    Auckland • Since Oct 2012 • 437 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to ChrisW,

    nothing personal, just think some may not have spotted the quiet option

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Lucy Telfar Barnard, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    If that turns out to be true, then there's something seriously wrong with the system. But maybe the Electoral Commission is confused and thinks it's promoting the National Party?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 585 posts Report

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Lucy Telfar Barnard,

    But maybe the Electoral Commission is confused

    That's a high degree of confusion. I suspect it will be a tortured reading of the law that essentially comes down to "don't make fun of nice Mr Key".

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to ChrisW,

    Parish the thought...

    ... enjoying my new impression of ‘exaggerate’ as
    eggsacurate – parts of it were excellent!
    But didn’t manage to crack it....

    I like it...
    ya gotta watch those double yolkers, though!

    ;- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    And it seems now political satire is under attack
    Darren Watson’s video Planet Key apparently cannot be played by the media.

    I don't really have a problem with this. There are rules around broadcast media during the campaign period and they're being applied. The video can be played on the news and the only real loss is the couple of radio stations that had actually been playing the song itself. It's online media and no one's getting in the way of that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

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