Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The Disingenuous Press

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  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I take the point you are making but I find that it is the people with credit cards who are mostly in financial strife thanks to free use of other peoples money

    That too.I find it rather typical of a certain group to expect all and sundry to live on plastic. I'm a firm believer if you haven't got it, It is a bit easier to not carry a card but I also understand that one can be shared. That's what I do.It works fine. We have got 2 of the same card, admittedly but I see this as an agenda to smear Len Brown so yeah my antenna is up when John Bank's spin doctor takes to the stage.

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

  • Jeremy Eade,

    We have got 2 of the same card, admittedly but I see this as an agenda to smear Len Brown so yeah my antenna is up when John Bank's spin doctor takes to the stage.

    I agree.I think that's just how Banks thinks campaigns work.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I notice the Standard does have a post about this - though my eyes glazed over at the quality of partisan discussion before I got too far.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    About the standard, they write from a labour prespective. From their own blog they state.

    "We come from a variety of backgrounds and our political views don’t always match up but it’d be fair to say that all of us share a commitment to the values and principles that underpin the broad labour movement and we hope that perspective will come through strongly as you read the blog."

    I mean hearing from the union movement is pretty important.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    As is hearing from Labour itself, and indeed Red Alert is good value. The problem with the Standard is that its arguments are dishonest, not that they are biased. We can all live with bias.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I agree it's a valuable perspective - but the discussion at their place sadly often degenerates into name-calling based on people having only two possible positions. Much like Kiwibog.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    I never see the physco- hate that goes on in some of those kiwiblog threads there,

    but i do see some very unpleasant threads at times but the standard is trolled heavily.

    Until TV One news devotes as much time to labour news as it does business news the standard is all you have on high profile regular reporting on that side of the political town.

    And the need for more organised labour - well thats' another 500 posts.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Too true - I admire the work that Laila Harre, Matt McCarten and others have done to rejuvenate unions.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    There are a few issues of democracy that might be addressed in Auckland and Canterbury.

    Hopefully the local body elections will still go ahead in some electorates.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Ian MacKay,

    I enjoy the threads over on the Standard. Sometimes its critics do adopt a superior sniffy attitude. All posters on sites could be sniffed at, including here, depending on points of view. As Jeremy says the Righties machine does post some nasty stuff which invites nasty responses. (It may be that strong trolling on particular threads indicates a concern in the Right camp. Threatened?)
    Some discussions actually cover serious ground and share information. I say long live the Standard! And PA! And Red Alert!

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    but i do see some very unpleasant threads at times but the standard is trolled heavily.

    Because Lynn Prentice is every bit as bad as Farrar at throwing troll bait into the water then pretending to be shocked and outraged at the entirely predictable result. If you find that amusing or insightful, so be it. I prefer Idiot Savant because even though I disagree with every other word he says at least he's not running an on-line troll farm.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Yet, once the faux-moral bellyaching is put aside – and as Roughan points out – there is a case for such cards. Overall, they probably save ratepayers money.

    So why don't they make the case? If you want to talk about faux-moral belly-aching, I'm getting ever so slightly impatient with the cries of "we're just driving good people out of public life" from the likes of Roughan and Paul Holmes and Bill English.

    Oddly enough, I actually think most political candidates deserve a little more credit than they get for being clear-eyed and reality-based about what they're getting into.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Len Brown fights back.

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

  • Ian MacKay,

    Craig. It is a bit rough to have online writers being provocative. Sigh.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Len Brown fights back.

    They seem to be using Whaleoil to pump this one out, as Banks has done previously. David Farrar has rather notably backed up this morning, Slater, of course, has not.

    I'm not sure I'd want to go to court on Jonathan Marshall's say-so.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Craig. It is a bit rough to have online writers being provocative. Sigh.

    Idiot Savant is enormously "provocative", but doesn't leave me feeling like I've gone to a day spa for a facial and had the mud pack replaced with a fresh cow-pat. Kiwibog and The Sub-Standard, on the other hand, do but as I said: Your mileage may vary.

    Len Brown fights back.

    I'm beginning to sympathise with Russell here -- the actual news content didn't kick in until paragraph 13, this time. (For the record, Sofie, "politician threatens to sue media outlet over disobliging story" isn't news. You knew Winnie was having a bad day if he wasn't threatening to wallpaper the Press Gallery with defamation writs that never materialised.)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Len Brown doesn't come across like that to me. I feel his explanation seems honest and completely understandable without smearing anyone along the way, other than the disingenuous press. Can't hang around to debate it with you Craig. Must leave you until later. Ciao

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Len Brown doesn't come across like that to me. I feel his explanation seems honest and completely understandable without smearing anyone along the way, other than the disingenuous press.

    Sofie: All I'm saying, from my own experience, that there's roughly zero news value in a politician threatening to sue over disagreeable press. Even if every word of it is true, exhaustively documented and sourced up the wazoo.

    Back in journalism school, I was taught "don't shit 'till you see the writ". Then again, I was also taught "don't bury the lead", and IMO the actual hard news content didn't kick in until the five out of twenty three paragraphs given over to Leigh Auton.

    And if you want to talk about "disingenuous press", when media outlets run stories slating their direct competitors I'd say full disclosure of that relationship is a matter of basic ethical hygiene. I think it's fair comment to say this might have been handled slightly differently if Brown was taking exception to a story in the Herald on Sunday.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Raymond A Francis,

    I notice that Len Brown is not the one threatening to sue it is his council, which is proper in that they may have been defaimed
    A bit murky asking for new tax invioces al the same

    Still I am glad I don't have to make the choice between wee Banksie and a man who can't run his own credit card
    What is wrong with Auckland!

    45' South • Since Nov 2006 • 578 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Stuff has the NZPA version of Brown's legal musing. TVNZ and RNZ have stories too.

    Dick Quax and Jami-Lee Ross appear to be pushing it along.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I notice that Len Brown is not the one threatening to sue it is his council, which is proper in that they may have been defaimed
    A bit murky asking for new tax invioces al the same

    If the original didn't have a GST number it wasn't a legal invoice. The explanation is that council officials chased it up to get a proper invoice as part of an audit process.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Glenn Pearce,

    Apparently the Restaurant was asked to make up a new receipt not "make up" a new receipt.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10651730


    Easy mistake to make really, especially if it was a phone conversation those inverted commas are difficult to spot.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2007 • 504 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    Danyl has something constructive to offer on this issue:

    Gordon Campbell has a technological answer to the problem of unauthorised Ministerial spending [...]

    This subject came up over dinner with one MP a few months ago and he suggested a simpler solution: that all Ministerial credit cards issued have a picture of Duncan Garner’s face printed on them. We agreed that would be a far more effective deterrent than any improvement in process or oversight committee.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    One of my pet peeves is that while MPs are usually reported with a party label, local councillors often are not. "Labour MP attacks National Minister" is Mandy Rice-Davies territory, and no less so, people like Dick Quax attacking Len Brown.

    From much of the media coverage, you would get the impression that Quax is merely a concerned councillor caring for his constituents. Not an ACT party hack.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    From much of the media coverage, you would get the impression that Quax is merely a concerned councillor caring for his constituents. Not an ACT party hack.

    Well, all due respect simon I'd rather our newspapers not editorialise in news coverage with epithets like "party hack". Closer to home, Ann Hartley is now a North Shore City councillor and former Labour MP who, as far as I'm aware is still an active member of the party. I neither know nor much care where former Alliance MP Grant Gillon's party political affiliations lie these days, but he's stood as an independent and I've no evidence to the contrary.

    Whether or not that makes them "hacks" depends on where you're standing, I guess.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

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