Posts by Craig Ranapia
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Hard News: Everybody's Machiavelli, in reply to Sacha,
Please do lodge a press council complaint.
Not a bad idea once I’ve got the paying work firmly in the OUT tray, though no harm in invoicing Shayne Currie if I’m going to do his job for him ex post facto.
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Hard News: Everybody's Machiavelli, in reply to Hebe,
A lot of your arguments about this are just that: arguing. Get a new newspaper if the Herald annoys you.
Thanks, Hebe, because that’s not even a little bit patronizing.
I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but an unelected and unaccountable newspaper (which happens to be an effective monopoly player in Auckland) has decided to try and drive an elected mayor out of office.
It’s doing do in a manner that is (IMO) dishonest, hypocritical, profoundly unethical and with scant regards for the standards of a trade I used to be proud to be a part of.
And, yes, you bet your fucking arse I’m going to “argue” about this because I am a citizen and elector of this city, and this country. If I can’t expect the best from the media – which I’d argue is as influential as politicians – I at least expect them to meet basic standards of professional and ethical conduct.
The columnists may indeed be employed on the basis that their world view reinforces that of the newspaper’s owner – and that has always been the case: they are not charged with or pretending to be objective.
I guess they’re also not charged with or pretending to have any regard for telling the truth either. Glad you don’t see anything problematic with that, Hebe. We’re just going to have to agree to disagree, and am thankful to the various editors in my career as an opinionated arsehole (including Russell) who’ve held this truth firmly in my view: Everyone may be entitled to their own opinion, nobody is entitled to their own facts. And there’s more than one way to tell a porkie pie: Lies of omission and wrongful emphasis do the job as well as those of commission.
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Hard News: Everybody's Machiavelli, in reply to Russell Brown,
She doesn’t explain how the current inquiry wouldn’t be a “proper” one, or what a “wide-ranging” inquiry would do that the one already underway would not. And more to the point, Chuang – who has been extremely forthcoming – has given no indication there is anything beyond Brown agreeing to be listed as a referee.
YES! And it's about time someone sat down with the entire press corps and explained that adultery is not a criminal offence under New Zealand law and certainly not within the scope of any kind of legitimate inquiry Auckland City could conduct. To be even blunter than usual, Sullivan, Armstrong, Roughan and Old Uncle Tom Cobbley all need to front up with some rock hard evidence Brown has done anything improper besides fuck a woman not his wife, or shut the fuck up.
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Hard News: Everybody's Machiavelli, in reply to Alex Coleman,
If he’s gonna act like he’s in a US tv drama,
If only… At least on Scandal, the convoluted political sleaze has some kind of unhinged “oh no, you didn’t go there, President Stalker Dude” ultra-camp entertainment value. This is just sad, pathetic and more than a little creepy.
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Hard News: Everybody's Machiavelli, in reply to Deborah,
I really don’t think that the Palino camp wants all the facts coming out, do they?
No I don't; just as I don't think a fair few of Ms. O'Sullivan's colleagues would welcome forensic scrutiny of their own behaviour in this tawdry affair.
But here's another thing: Like it or not (and I think it's fair to say O'Sullivan and Co. don't), Len Brown did win a free, fair and credible election. Who elected the editorial writers and columnists who want to nullify that election? How are they "accountable" to the people they've been energetically concern-trolling this week?
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Hard News: Everybody's Machiavelli, in reply to Deborah,
Deborah:
Could you translate this passage from O'Sullivan for me...
He is being helped by the drip-feed of revelations about the role his former lover's buddies in the Palino camp played in his outing.
These revelations have made Brown a figure of fun. But there is also a sinister element to them. Particularly the pressure which Bevan Chuang claims was put on her by Palino's PR man (one of her other lovers) to try and get her to entrap Brown in making "dirty talk" on the phone.
Yeah, that 'drip-feed' your organ is perfectly happy to print, along with all that other salacious tittle-tattle that O'Sullivan finds irrelevant but (I think) would have roused her to vote. Or something.
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Sigh… and a weirdly pissy column from John Armstrong…
His decision – or that of his minders – to make his one and only media appearance on TV3’s Campbell Live was deeply cynical and supremely arrogant. It amounted to another slap in the face for ratepayers who are entitled to expect accountability from their mayor and that he front accordingly.
M’kay… guess hell hath no fury like a media outlet that can’t get an interview. Deeply cynical and supremely arrogant pot, don’t concern troll me with your access envy…
On Thursday, the revelation Brown had helped Chuang get a council-related job saw the moral compass swing 180 degrees against him.
Auckland Council’s chief executive, Doug McKay, wasted little time in doing the right thing in setting up an inquiry.
And how convenient that McKay has also (properly) shut down the very people who, IMO, might want to consult a lawyer or two if The Herald’s allegations aren’t backed up.
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The challenge for the Herald is to find a way to report the facts without prurience, and they may well have failed at that, and all I ask is that you say how, which you evidently don’t want to do.
Very insightful, there. I don’t actually want to spend most of my Saturday going through a pile of dreck that’s turned my fucking stomach from the start. But a good place to start would be the Principles of the New Zealand Press Council – which I believe the Herald is still a member of.
Particularly these bits:
"Publications should be bound at all times by accuracy, fairness and balance, and should not deliberately mislead or misinform readers by commission or omission.”
“Everyone is normally entitled to privacy of person, space and personal information, and these rights should be respected by publications.”
“A clear distinction should be drawn between factual information and comment or opinion. An article that is essentially comment or opinion should be clearly presented as such.”
“Headlines, sub-headings, and captions should accurately and fairly convey the substance or a key element of the report they are designed to cover.”
“Issues of gender, religion, minority groups, sexual orientation, age, race, colour or physical or mental disability are legitimate subjects for discussion where they are relevant and in the public interest, and publications may report and express opinions in these areas. Publications should not, however, place gratuitous emphasis on any such category in their reporting.”
“The use of deceit and subterfuge can only be condoned in cases when the information sought is in the public interest and cannot be obtained by any other means.”
“A publication’s willingness to correct errors enhances its credibility and, often, defuses complaint. Significant errors should be admitted and promptly corrected, giving the correction fair prominence. In some circumstances it will be appropriate to offer an apology and a right of reply to an affected person or persons."
And I’m sorry, but I fail to see a ’WhaleOil made me do it” exemption to any of the above.
Not for the first time, I'll have to agree to disagree with M'Learned Friend Mister Brown. This whole story is a shabby affair, and while it may serve APN's bottom line it hasn't been in the genuine public interest at all.
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Hard News: Everybody's Machiavelli, in reply to Russell Brown,
Really not ideal, but more a matter of the pickle he got himself into than an improper action. The reference came via his office and was no more than might be expected for an active member of the advisory board.
I really wish you’d explain that to the media org. who lead with variations of “Len Brown gets his former mistress a job.” I actually think Len Brown’s at the back of the line for apologies for that… well, lie is too strong, but I don’t think highly over-stated is unfair. I wonder if anyone at the Herald gave a moment thought to how serious the allegation was to the Auckland City Art Gallery and everyone in the Mayor’s office, and the notion that you can’t recall some shit once it’s been flung.
I have just visited Whaleoil’s blog for the first time. I feel queasy. Herald-loathers can’t really be serious about comparing the two?
If any of that was directed at me, I don’t regard Whaleoil as a credible news source. The Herald (and everyone else) does, repeatedly and with very little of durable value to show for it. If they insist on begging for my contempt, it would be churlish not to oblige.
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Hard News: Everybody's Machiavelli, in reply to Stephen Judd,
I do appreciate your love of rhetorical figures, but between the hyperbole and the litotes I really cannot understand what you do and don’t find acceptable.
Stephen: With all due respect, what part of “do your own fucking legwork, and make sure you’ve got all your facts straight before going to press” is obscure?
No, I don’t think there was any legitimate public interest in Len Brown’s private life.
I sure as fuck don’t think there was any legitimate public interest in the leering slut-shaming and casual racism Bevan Cheung is still being subjected to.
And I sure find it interesting how the New Zealand Herald is trying to distance itself from the very sleazebomb they’ve been running hard with for most of a week, don’t you?
But, hey - I think you've made it perfectly clear what kind of media you're willing to tolerate. Hope it works out for you.
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