Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Didn't see that coming

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  • Damian Christie,

    Do you think it's unreasonable for someone to assume that maybe KDC enjoys making ambiguous statements - effectively "I hacked the German Chancellor because I didn't like him... I don't like John Key either". It's the same as can be seen in the winky face I-wonder-who-hacked-Whaleoil message he allegedly sent to Wayne Tempero. Even if it's not true, he seems to like creating an inference.

    I wasn't there, I didn't hear any more of the speech than that Chancellor quote pulled for the news, but it would seem either mischievous or just plain stupid given recent events.

    If Kim Dotcom didn't want the Internet Mana event to be derailed, he could've left it to the actual candidates - I keep being told by IM people that "Kim's really keen to step out of the spotlight" but I'm yet to see any evidence of it, and today it indirectly (with the media's help of course) cost them positive coverage of the issues.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Damian Christie,

    Do you think it’s unreasonable for someone to assume that maybe KDC enjoys making ambiguous statements – effectively “I hacked the German Chancellor because I didn’t like him… I don’t like John Key either”.

    I guess so, but it wasn’t really how it came across in the hall. Maybe I missed something. But the idea that he admitted to past hacking escapades, which was what the reports said, is demonstrably absurd. It’s just not news.

    Dotcom’s been part of the roadshow, and it’s not hard to see why. He speaks well, he’s famous and people like him. I do think he could have left out John Key altogether.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Matt Crawford, in reply to Damian Christie,

    Given the denials already on the record, and the complete lack of any evidence except for a furiously spinning National Party, repeatedly demanding to ask "are you whaledump?" made Parkin look embarrassingly stupid.

    Please TV journalists and producers, go do some research. Go google anonymous, find out more about lulzsec. Engage the brain - Kim Dotcom might not be the only person in the country with l337 computer skills and a dislike for JK. Is Parkin really this dumb, or does he just play it up for the TV?

    And KDC has already denied being @whaledump, being connected to Hager or hacking Slater, also all confirmed by Hager.

    Wellington • Since Dec 2006 • 58 posts Report Reply

  • Matt Crawford,

    Sorry for the snark there, I'm sure poor MP doesn't deserve it put quite so meanly. And I know journalists and newsrooms do often try their best.

    It was just a head-deskingly awful moment of galling idiocy, and that was before Corko went batshit (dear god wtf was she thinking)

    Wellington • Since Dec 2006 • 58 posts Report Reply

  • SteveH, in reply to Damian Christie,

    It’s the same as can be seen in the winky face I-wonder-who-hacked-Whaleoil message he allegedly sent to Wayne Tempero. Even if it’s not true, he seems to like creating an inference.

    He may like keep the inference going, I suspect as much because it makes Key and Slater look like idiots as anything, but I really doubt he was the hacker. If he was, he wouldn’t have been hinting at a bomb-shell to be dropped 5 days from the election, he would have been hinting about the book. For that matter I think it would be more his style to release the stuff himself (anonymously or not) rather than go to Hager with it. I also don’t believe Hager would categorically deny it was Dotcom if it was – no way would Hager be willing to risk getting caught in a lie.

    Since Sep 2009 • 444 posts Report Reply

  • stephen clover,

    Giovanni Tiso tweeted:

    People who are putting down Pam Corkery have no idea about the tactics used by Internet Parties overseas, do they? Not a clue.

    .. and the ensuing conversation was enlightening to say the least.

    wgtn • Since Sep 2007 • 355 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe,

    Pam Corkery looked like she genuinely went off. But I don't see that she or Kim Dotcom will be unhappy at the way it has played out.

    A lot of reporting -- and news editing and sub-editing -- is still trying to fit an MMP election (and the most feral one we've ever had) in the old FPP boxes.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Myles Thomas,

    I know I sound like a broken record but this is a result of commercial news media. For comparison see a non commercial version - no mention of Corkery going apeshit or Hacker Dotcom.

    Auckland • Since Apr 2011 • 130 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    The outburst by Pam Corkery acheived the objective of getting the National Party launch out of the top spot on the news. I've been wondering whether it was a deliberate spoiling tactic. Or maybe all that happened was that Mr Dotcom or some other seniopr person in IMP asked Ms Corkery to go outside and distract the press so that he could make a getaway, and the rest was unscripted, but very very effective at getting the top spot on both TVNZ and TV3 news.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Tim Darlington,

    The job of press secretary is one of composure, even if it seems the journalists are being annoying or even malicious in their angles. Anger, be it necessary, should be left for when cameras are not rolling, mics are not live and people are not listening.

    True, but I'm not sure it applies to a party like this one. I thought it was hilarious, and although I'm not their target market I bet plenty in that target market thought the same. The people it put off generally wouldn't be potential I/M voters anyway, and it made the party lead story on 3News (and presumably TVNZ, but I didn't watch) on the day National was doing its big policy release.

    Also: the PM's been saying for nearly two weeks that none of this stuff that was hacked is anything to do with him, so Dotcom's statement about hackers making PMs look bad couldn't possibly have the meaning these journos are ascribing to it, right? Well, unless they think the PM's lying, of course...

    Since Nov 2006 • 56 posts Report Reply

  • Bill Patterson,

    If Pam Corkery had had the same outburst, but Dotcom had never made the hacking reference, it probably wouldn't have led the news, would it? I wasn't actually aware Parkin was suggesting Dotcom was whaledump yesterday, and when I saw people talking about Pam Corkery lashing out at the press, it didn't really sound like a news leader.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2013 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    the evening news angle

    I saw the 3 news version live and it infuriated me that Brook Sabin (presumably with the blessing of his producer) had decided the story was about hacking before the meeting even started. That was the nature of the questions as Dotcom entered the hall. To then paint the focus as arising from his subsequent speech is an utter lie on their part.

    The abuse started when we were filming, explaining Dotcom was in hiding

    Overhearing that comment being filmed by Sabin may have even been what prompted Corkery to call him a 'creep' in the footage. An interesting contrast with the media's meek aceptance of the PM telling them to not ask him questions about #dirtypolitics at his event across town. Three bags full, sir.

    More significantly, compare the coverage of the policies announced at both events. National promised to pump more money via an existing scheme into the mortgage market for a modest group of middle-earning home aspirants, costing about $45m/yr - and subsequently drawing yawns from opponents

    InternetMana said they would end unemployment completely by focusing on state-led job creation at both local and national levels, including an strong IT focus, and funded immediately by diverting part of ACC's existing large reserves and opngoing income. Quarter of a million jobs over 5 years at 1.3b/yr.

    Sounds like a bold, different policy tackling a genuine social and economic need that our media could ask lots of people about. Even if IM has little chance of being in goivernment, it would be interesting to hear the reactions of other parties at least.

    But no, we get Corkery doing her nut and nothing more. Time for media to do their fricking jobs and realise the story isn't about them and their feelings. And for someone to drag Pam aside and read her the riot act.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Tim Darlington,

    The people it put off generally wouldn't be potential I/M voters anyway

    Correct, However, the damage might include scaring centre voters scared of IM having a place at a Labour-led table into the arms of the 'reliable' Nats - of course they're in turn encumbered by nutjobs like Act but their framing of that has been more successful.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    If Corkery did do that on purpose to get the lead spot on the news then she's an idiot. National couldn't have asked for anything better than a reminder to wavering centre voters that the alternative to Key - dirty politics or not - is a government propped up by a bunch of nutty, angry activists.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Sacha,

    scaring centre voters scared of IM

    That's the kind of strategic concern that seems to fuel the tut-tutting over Corkery's lack of decorum. Then again, Sabin was playing to the imagined perceptions of Mr & Mrs Whitebread by attempting to link Dotcom to Whaledump. Post Dirty Politics it's hard to see what Internet Mana have to lose by Corkery calling the media out for continuing to follow the Slater script.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Alex Coleman tweets:

    Leading journos find out KDC was a teenage hacker. Don't nobody tell them Key was a total banker, we'll never hear the end of it

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Getting into the spirit of things, Kim Dotcom tweets:

    Pam's office was unwise. Pam is on her final final final warning. Pam did NOT insult journalists. She was talking to her ex. #KeyStyleSpin

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I do think he could have left out John Key altogether.

    At least he is honest, if he wasn't saying it out loud it would still be tacitly understood and known as a major motivation for Dotcom's tilt at Parliament...
    (even if it does look petty and risk getting in the way of his own party ...)

    One wishes Key would cut through the crap and reveal his true motivations!
    (though Cam's 'Porkery' gives a glimpse of National's world-view...)

    Morning Report is testing my capacity for civilised behaviour - Espiner is being particularly tone deaf and simplistic and Key gutlessly backing off from the Collins question, stressed our cats with my swearing at the radio!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Danyl Mclauchlan,

    If Corkery did do that on purpose to get the lead spot on the news then she's an idiot.

    She didn't.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Every 3 years there's a repeated ritual in NZ elections: the minor party lists are ignored before polling day, and then afterwards the media are all amazed to discover that Larry Baldock or David Garrett or Brendan Horan is now an MP.

    Given the events of recent days, I reckon it's time to check out list numbers 5 + for Internet-Mana, and into double figures for NZ First. They're likely to be a lot more relevant than Jamie Whyte, who gets in the news every day, even though he'll disappear in a puff of yellow smoke on Sept 21.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi,

    I'm confused by IMP's "Right to Work" policy. There's a few good bits in there (especially the varying sizes of the R&D and innovation grants) but the name alone is a massive red flag, and:

    The aim is to fill gaps where the market is not able to create and fund jobs and to create sustainable community-based employment.

    This gets into the same economic issues as prisoner work schemes: either people are made to work in extremely low value jobs, or they compete with employers who have to pay much higher wages.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Hosking’s interview with Laila Harre is amazing. He declares that Dotcom “admitted yesterday to criminal activity”, construes the speech as a “threat” to John Key, completely fails to read a later Dotcom text (Pam was “screaming at her ex”) as a joke, etc.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Andre Alessi,

    This gets into the same economic issues as prisoner work schemes: either people are made to work in extremely low value jobs, or they compete with employers who have to pay much higher wages.

    There was another part in Dotcom's speech where he said something about a "monitoring system for government workers" which made me raise my eyebrows too. It's a much better use of time to criticise them for things like this than to obsess about whether Dotcom is "the hacker".

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Hosking’s interview with Laila Harre is amazing.

    Hosking makes my skin crawl, I can't bring myself to listen to him.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • James George, in reply to Andre Alessi,

    That;s a bit strawman isn't it? There are many other alternatives - reminds me of a scheme I once co-ordinated which was all about getting the huge stack of unemployed artist registration cards 'off the books' (analogue data storage meant big yellow cards but I never did find the books).
    Back in those days art school graduates were really struggling in the period between finishing their education and starting work as either serious artists or in graphics design.
    That strikes me as being somewhat similar to kids in the town I am currently living in who have good IT qualifications but really struggle to get into employment without prior work experience because employers generally prefer to bring someone in often from outside NZ, who has IT work experience though often not in the same exact field.

    Anyway we paid good wages to the artists who undertook a big mob of different jobs around town as they got more confidence & the citizens gained more confidence in them. Starting off with big murals on swimming pools etc, then stage sets for productions which wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford such interesting & complex sets. Experienced people in each field were brought in to train & co-ordinate the projects. Some of the project managers did cop a bit of an income whack but they told me that doing the projects had been one of the most rewarding things they had done & usually it was just for 8 to 12 weeks. It took them back to their early years & rekindled enthusiasm.

    We had a number of exhibitions of the young visual artists work some of whom went on to establish good careers.
    The graphics mob undertook projects for other community organisations who wouldn't otherwise have been able to push out the pamphlets etc which they did.
    The success rate wasn't 100% closer to 70% of the people who did these programs went on to find work in arts related fields chiefly because they had the experience and proof of it to show employers.
    Not everything has to be regarded so grumpily as all bad.

    Since Sep 2007 • 96 posts Report Reply

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