Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: A nation bullied

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  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Richard CLARK,

    I for one have a choice, don't read them, anyofthem! The press in NZ is diabolical and there is not one journalist I would trust, period.

    How would you suggest learning about goings on beyond one's own personal experience, then?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Lucy Stewart,

    The press in NZ is diabolical and there is not one journalist I would trust, period.

    You do realise you’re commenting on the blog of one of them?

    [whoops, that's to Richard, not Lucy]

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Withers, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    Stephen Judd: Papers like the Guardian are distinguished by ownership via a trust or foundation with a charter stating the values they must adhere to. The Toronto Star has a similar charter and while it isn't the Guardian it isn't a shrill journal owned by any billionaire with a political axe to grind. These newspapers stand out as being more independent than the "7-Eleven" chain of convenience store journalism that has sadly become the norm almost everywhere. Maybe there is a model here that could / should be encouraged if not legally mandated. Or maybe we should dig into our own pockets and make one. (Too many people aren't digital yet. They don't here what happens here unless it spills into the print or conventional broadcast media).

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 312 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Richard CLARK,

    all journalist use subterfuge, like all council workers on garbage trucks collect garbage, it's just the way it is and I for one have a choice, don't read them, anyofthem! The press in NZ is diabolical and there is not one journalist I would trust, period.

    In which case, you do yourself a a great disservice as a citizen, and essentially ensure your own ignorance.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Steve Withers,

    Stephen Judd: Papers like the Guardian are distinguished by ownership via a trust or foundation with a charter stating the values they must adhere to.

    The big problem is that The Guardian is emphatically in the midst of its most influential and important era -- and losing 50 million quid a year.

    The lifestyle titles that usually cover the flagship's losses aren't as profitable as they used to be either. It's a bloody worry.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    For interest: I tweeted a bit of this but thought it worth a broader explanation.

    Why Murdoch should never be allowed to get anywhere near a BSkyB takeover.

    ITVDigital launched a new satellite channel in the UK, they used the same encrypted card system used by a major French broadcaster Canal plus. These guys are in competition with Sky, and they bought the rights to National league football at considerable cost for distribution on their network starting in 2011. By mid 2000 the European markets were flooded with cracked decoder cards for Canal plus and ITVDigital.

    The only group known to have cracked these cards was an Israeli branch of NDS a tech company owned by Newscorp. It appears that they were paid to do this.

    Meanwhile a British arm of NDS gave funds to a site called the House of Ill Compute where the code for cracking the cards appeared. This seems to have been facilitated by a guy called Ray Adams a “retired” Met Policeman (then head of security at NDS) with a controversial past. Adams paid another guy called Lee Gibling who ran the House of Ill Compute who “disappeared” at the time when all this kicked off and Canal+ started litigation.

    The result of the cracked code was catastrophic for British Football because without fee paying subscribers ITVDigital had no hope of paying clubs the fees they owed. Football clubs would have undoubtedly spent much of their money in advance. Elsewhere ITVDigital was under pressure from BSB allegedly at the behest of guess who?

    ITVDigital was in the hands of the liquidators by 2002.

    It appears that 2002 for Rupert.

    This is the sort of stuff that makes movies but no one really wants the bad guy to win do they ?

    These links are all to the Guardian I’m afraid they are the only ones could find.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2002/mar/13/media.citynews

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2002/mar/13/piracy.news

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2002/mar/18/security.hacking

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/apr/12/newscorporation.broadcasting

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/dec/22/newscorporation.observerbusiness

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to Steve Withers,

    . Maybe there is a model here that could / should be encouraged if not legally mandated. Or maybe we should dig into our own pockets and make one.

    I am ready to repeat the call I made here a couple of years ago to create a charitable trust to fund public interest journalism. Gimme a day or two, I have a draft already that I need to tidy up.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to 81stcolumn,

    Why Murdoch should never be allowed to get anywhere near a BSkyB takeover.

    Holy shit. And yet the TPPA will still insult our collective intelligence, knowing that backyard file-sharers would be far easier targets than news conglomerates.

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

  • Jeremy Eade,

    The Fox News website ran a leading headline about fractions in the Republican party
    for a short while today. They never do that. Coincidence?

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    the Slapper from Wapping...

    ...was explicitly threatened by Rebekah Brooks with having their private lives turned inside out...

    It all makes you wonder just what Rebekah Brooks has on Rupert and James, they are distressingly supportive of someone who seems to have destroyed a major asset?
    Maybe hard man (and ex-hubby and punchbag) Ross Kemp warned them about her right hook...
    Look out for a new hard hitting TV Doco Ross Kemp on Fleet Street
    If I was her, I wouldn't be going for any midnight swims off the back of the Murdoch's luxury yacht, any time soon...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    I am ready to repeat the call I made here a couple of years ago to create a charitable trust to fund public interest journalism.

    Great idea...
    Something like the Paul Foot Award would be good - with a blog category as well, natch!
    Maybe this trust could take over the NZPA's infrastructure - rather than reinvent the wheel - though that is a much larger vehicle...

    I also note that TVNZ sailed into unchartered waters last night - and (insert preferred Deity here) save all who sail on her, or passively watch her founder in a sea of ennui...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • James Butler, in reply to Jeremy Eade,

    The Fox News website ran a leading headline about fractions in the Republican party for a short while today. They never do that.

    What? Basic numeracy? Agreed.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    I am ready to repeat the call I made here a couple of years ago to create a charitable trust to fund public interest journalism. Gimme a day or two, I have a draft already that I need to tidy up.

    Terrific idea.
    In the early days of TPM, Josh would occasionally call for donations, for specific projects/hires. Big audience. It seemed to work pretty well (and no need these days- it's a mini-empire :))
    Probably not what you have in mind, but maybe you should talk to Gordon Campbell/Werewolf.
    Creating content is one side: it needs a dynamic method of sharing/disseminating it as well. www.publicinterest.tv is gone, but you could snaffle publicinterest.net.nz ...

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Time for PAStv has come.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to merc,

    Time for PAStv has come.

    Al Gore's CurrenTV offers a template to follow.

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

  • Sacha, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    All you need now is a friendly billionaire

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Who are not common in ANZ - or generally broad community-minded anywhere.

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

  • Ian Dalziel,

    the dirty digger's hole...
    one wonders if Murdoch has pulled the strings of the Chipping Norton set - and lo, Cameron is now going to cut the country adrift before he is taken to the Tower - well that may be over-reaching, but we'd best watch what happens carefully, as our own Cameron-Clone - John Key - will embark on a similar path of stripping away public ownership of essentials if re-elected...

    ordure, ordure...
    you also have to wonder what the other Shareholders in News Corporation think of this rancid imbroglio - how are Kingdom Holdings - 7%- (which is basically Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal of the Saudi Royal Family - check out what he owns or has shares in...) taking this particular clusterf*ck?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    how are Kingdom Holdings - 7%- (which is basically Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal of the Saudi Royal Family - check out what he owns or has shares in...) taking this particular clusterf*ck?

    He already appears to have survived a fatwa.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    I am ready to repeat the call I made here a couple of years ago to create a charitable trust to fund public interest journalism. Gimme a day or two, I have a draft already that I need to tidy up.

    Genuinely interested in this notion- though of course it’s up to you, Stephen, to push it or not.
    Anyway- you have til tomorrow or the kitten gets it. :)

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Robert Urquhart,

    This may or may not be relevant here

    http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2011/07/we-need-the-new-news-environment-to-be-chaotic/

    The business environment for newspapers continues to be grim. Pew recently reported that advertising revenue rebounded in 2010 for all forms of media, except newspapers.* This might just be a matter of transitioning from print to digital revenues but for the fact that the market values a print reader far more than a digital one. The more or less official label for this problem is “analog dollars to digital dimes”; because of the enormous difference in assumed value per reader, lost value from print is not made up for by gains in digital readership.

    The ‘analog dollars to digital dimes’ problem doesn’t actually seem to be a problem. It seems to be a feature of reality.
    ...
    Having one kind of institution do most of the reporting for most communities in the US seemed like a great idea right up until it seemed like a single point of failure. As that failure spreads, the news ecosystem isn’t just getting more chaotic, we need it to be more chaotic, because we need multiple competing approaches. It isn’t newspapers we should be worrying about, but news, and there are many more ways of getting and reporting the news that we haven’t tried than that we have

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2009 • 163 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    Rob, email me and I'll send you a draft now.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    Whew! Kitten saved!
    Actually, this is something I’m interested in also – but look forward to seeing the public version-

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

  • Ben Austin,

    So the Met Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson has just resigned

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    ...and Brooks gets a whopping
    3.5 million pound payout...
    the wages of sin, eh?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

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