Cracker: A Whale of a Tale
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Is the point perhaps that the media should check facts more thoroughly?
yes.
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Stop giving column inches and airtime to people simply because their views are controversial.
I think this is an important point and almost justifies the prank. Henry was probably about to revel in the non-PC aspect of it all. Hoist by his own petard - sort of. I know that he would not choose or prepare the stories but he loves to take a contradictory view.
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How do you feel about Kenny Strasser?
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Pretty much what Damian said.
Quite liked it as a jape, but I won't claim any worthiness for it.
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The economic theory Guy was using to explain whale farming is nuts
but will still win you seats in governments all over the world and incredible amounts of television time and financial support.I really enjoyed henry having to admit that it was a thin irrational arguement because henry usually loves to present himself as a poster boy for this kind of thinking.Guy Williams is Guy Williams. Jono is Jono. Shouldn't their work be assigned to them as individuals until at least origination is clarified.
I like Guys first single, he's 21. Good age.
we
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John Clark has mastered this kind of humour.
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This is definitely more Borat than Yes Men. The claim that this is doing the Lord's work is pretty weak when it's obvious that enhancing a comic's career is the main motivation.
But I absolutely don't have any sympathy about the fact checking. There are so many bad hats out there that want to use whatever residual credibility the MSM has to further their cause -- I'm thinking of local racists like Martin Doutre here or the anti-vaccination crowd -- and they make full use of news media's inability to do elementary credential checking or check the claims made by people they talk to. If just one writer thinks twice about what they've read, or one interviewer does some background research and challenges a claim of fact as a result of this then good will have been done.
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The claim that this is doing the Lord's work is pretty weak when it's obvious that enhancing a comic's career is the main motivation
These motivations are not incompatible.
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they make full use of news media's inability to ...check the claims made by people they talk to.
Yeah, I tried to differentiate between that and determining whether someone is a fraud full stop.
In terms of credentials, the difference between someone who has just started a pro-whaling group which has a website, and someone who is pretending to have just started a pro-whaling group which has an actual website is very small. You don't need to register with the Government, form a company, file a constitution or anything that could be checked with any relative ease.
Given that, @Jeremy - how would you suggest this imposter could have reasonably been spotted? Certainly not on his views alone, which as you point out, are pretty commonplace politically...
This is different from what I believe is far more important, which is preparing for an interview, and preparing research and facts to rebut the claims the interviewee is likely to put forward. Here I couldn't agree with you more @Stephen.
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what I believe is far more important, which is preparing for an interview, and preparing research and facts to rebut the claims the interviewee is likely to put forward
As others have noted, part of this stunt's charm is that Mr Henry could be relied upon to struggle with 'rebutting' ideas close to his own right-wing delusions.
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And as Jeremy says on t'other thread, Mr Henry gave this fresh tie-wearing nobody more respect that an established expert who happened to be a woman and from Greenpeace to boot (the horror).
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As others have noted, part of this stunt's charm is that Mr Henry could be relied upon to struggle with 'rebutting' ideas close to his own right-wing delusions.
I don't know that is entirely fair (or even a little bit) Sacha. The fact he stood for the National Party and whatever else he might have done (moustache-gate and retard-gate aren't exactly political) don't make him on side with a whaler. I thought that much was pretty clear from the interview.
Likewise, (@Jeremy made the same claim on the other thread re Greenpeace vs Williams) short of insulting the physical attributes of every single interviewee from now on, you could argue Henry gives EVERY guest more respect than he did Stephanie Whatshername from Greenpeace (too lazy to fact check surname here...). I don't think that should be used of evidence of his pro-whaling agenda either.
(Disclaimer: I think Paul Henry is a talented broadcaster. He pushes it, and he goes too far at times, but he's got talent. At times he can even be quite insightful, for example a recent outburst where he encouraged more people to try speaking Maori and not worry overly about pronunciation to begin with, because at first its just important that we try, rather than be scared away from using the language. You can read into that what you will - that he is really just encouraging the bastardisation of the language by his right-wing cronies - but that really wasn't how it came across. It came across as thoughtful, insightful, and pro te reo. But that doesn't get reported...)
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I don't think that should be used of evidence of his pro-whaling agenda either.
He might not be pro-whaling at all but he often pours scorn on liberal 'PC' matters. I don't think he is all bad but when I watched the video of his interview with the prankster, I felt that someone was playing him (and Breakfast) at his own game. Knock the libs, give it a shallow once over ...
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I could have been a journalist but I had a paper round.
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did Stephanie Whatshername from Greenpeace (too lazy to fact check surname here...).
yeehhp
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Certainly not on his views alone, which as you point out, are pretty commonplace politically...
that's the joke brother, the sad joke.C'mon man i sometimes wonder if working alongside peolpe makes it hard to recognise obvious slants in their work, an occupational hazard for media maybe but this guy is a rightwing nutjob on the screen and seems to get off on that fact.That is not your job, to glorify your own bigotry.
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the difference between someone who has just started a pro-whaling group which has a website, and someone who is pretending to have just started a pro-whaling group which has an actual website is very small. You don't need to register with the Government, form a company, file a constitution or anything that could be checked with any relative ease.
Given that, @Jeremy - how would you suggest this imposter could have reasonably been spotted? Certainly not on his views alone, which as you point out, are pretty commonplace politically...
I think the answer is that merely claiming to have a group with a controversial take on a controversial subject is not in itself newsworthy. Breakfast could have saved themselves by having a marginally higher bar. You almost said it yourself:
Stop giving column inches and airtime to people simply because their views are controversial. Ask yourself whether they represent a substantial minority.
By demanding just a little more to establish a prima facie case of newsworthiness, you would require more effort from hoaxers and bad hats and give them more chance to trip themselves up on the way to the newsroom.
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We know the newsroom votes and it's sometimes scary to think how but it's surely true, you're a strange bunch . For instance, your captains of industry , they are so adorable, such adorable pirates.
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(moustache-gate and retard-gate aren't exactly political)
your lapsed libertarian is showing, sir
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I'd like see a media capable of presenting and comprehending new research in economics, science, social science, arts, some games but not too many please and sex.
It's not Pauls fault his education is so poor on political and economic history but it's not my fault to demand better presenters, why would anyone want to continue down this present corporate meltdown of the news market .
With its jolly ultra conservative male faces, blonde Nilf everwhere and endless weddings and rugby stories.
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did Stephanie Whatshername from Greenpeace (too lazy to fact check surname here...).
yeehhp
I think you're the one missing the joke here Jeremy...
I could have been a journalist but I had a paper round.
...Not to mention apparently threadbaiting. Your point?
As to the fact that I work alongside Paul Henry so can't see his slant, I don't know what to say. I literally never see Paul Henry, other than on the TV. He leaves presumably after his show. I turn up at 12. I work on a different floor, and even then only part-time, and even then part of the week in Wellington. If you're saying I'm biased because they pay me then that's a different thing, and I'd argue that too.
We know the newsroom votes and it's sometimes scary to think how but it's surely true, you're a strange bunch .
More threadbaiting, or just an awesome generalisation about hundreds of people you've never met?
I don't know what it is you do Jeremy - Google suggests you're in sales, in which case you might want a mirror before you continue slagging an entire industry.
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a liitle threatening for a family show bud.
I think you are trying to play me and not the point. You do that sometimes.
Have a look at sales, it would make a great story, sales has got it's own decline literally.
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(Disclaimer: I think Paul Henry is a talented broadcaster.
Are his talents wasted on morning tele then. I know nothing about his career. I was in many other countries as it evolved. Coming late to his telecareer he seems to be just another motormouth, who works better in a duo.
At times he can even be quite insightful,
So can a drunken bum at the right time, that's no unique quality.
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@Sacha
your lapsed libertarian is showing, sir
I don't know what you're saying here. My point is that saying, for example, Susan Boyle looks a bit retarded, is not the exclusive provenance of the right wing. Any objectionable fucker could come up with that.
I'm not arguing that Paul Henry isn't [right wing], but I'm saying that this isn't the best example of it. It might be a great example of many other things, but it is not related to a political theory that I know of, whether the left or the right.
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I read tv media as a weird industry, am i alone , its not your industry, it's our industry.
but i love you damian, we need a day for you, i'm thinking of an hour long sweaty hug session for you.....a whole day of it.
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