Posts by Craig Ranapia
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Thanks for that Sofie, and I've got no reason to doubt Iain's read. But, FFS, Soper still managed to seriously misrepresent a piece of legislation her own party supported and which was not rushed through under urgency. (And, honestly, you can argue a lot of legislation would benefit from a bit more cooking at the select committee stage but it wasn't by-passed in this case.)
I'm not naive about the reality of campaigning -- of course, you're going to take every opportunity to paint the other bastards as mendacious idiots who couldn't organize a gang-bang in a brothel. But Soper really played fast and loose on a subject where misinformation does real harm. Everyone's got to lift their game and remember elections come and go, bad policy arguments linger like a bad smell.
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Hard News: The perilous birth of the…, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
These products and others affect people differently. There is no blanket effect for humans because we are all different. Yes ,for some ,they stink and others seem to like and handle them. That is why evidence helps and hysteria doesn't .
THIS. You know the appropriate level of alcohol consumption for me (please note the emphasis): None at all, being an alcoholic on various meds that interact very badly with booze and all. But that's a terrible basis on which to make public policy, so (as you say) bring on the evidence-based shiznit. :)
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Hard News: The perilous birth of the…, in reply to Russell Brown,
Does Soper really not know that these things have been “sold in communities” for the past decade and this this legislation sharply curtails the ability for that to happen? And does she not realise her own party voted for the bill?
If the answer to both questions is "yes," then it's fucking appalling but can at least be remedied by someone up the campaign food chain insisting she internalize the policy briefing book (and check her facts) before opening her trap.
The other alternative is even more appalling and a wee bit sinister -- because she's just lied to people who, however misguided on this policy question they might be, deserve better.
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Hard News: Friday Music: The Godfather…, in reply to Paddy Buckley,
What an intro.
Oath. I'm dreaming of an alternate universe where Frankie made a shitload of walking around money scoring Bond films -- it's just in that sweet spot being absolutely ridiculous and indecently awesome. And I won't even go near a dancefloor sober.
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I was also critical of what I called 3 News' "lazy" habit of featuring John Key as commentary talent in their stories, sometimes to the extent of using the Prime Minister to explain the angle of the stories. Gower said they've also had complaints about the frequent use of Russel Norman in a similar context.
"It's something we always have to keep watching. We always have to go and get comment, you always want a counter-comment. And, for want of a better description, you get guys having free hits.
"It's one of the true weaknesses of television that in order to achieve balance you have a counter-soundbite. So we have to watch how much we use Key, we have to watch how much we use Norman or Cunliffe, we have to watch free hits full stop. [But] we also have to have the opposite person in there."
I'll grant Gower that, as far as he goes which is both too much and not enough.
Sure, Cameron Brewer screeching for Len Brown's head on a pike every time he farts in public is "balance" but where's the news value? And yes, the Prime Minister of whatever day gets a lot more media attention by virtue of the office. It was true of Helen Clark -- who, IMO, sometimes got herself in trouble by compulsively having an opinion on everything, even when she really shouldn't have. It's going to be true of whoever the next Labour Prime Minister will be, and Key's successor isn't going to like it one little bit.
I guess the Reader's Digest version is this: Do your soundbites -- all of them -- have actual nutritional value, or are they just empty calories filling the space?
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Hard News: Poll Day 2: Queasy, in reply to Russell Brown,
But I am troubled by this framing of this question and I really think 3 News reporters have to stop using the Prime Minister to articulate their story angles, especially when the subject is Cunliffe. Key’s great talent, as we say in the trade, but it’s lazy and creepy.
More or less lazy than (surprise!) going to Cunliffe for an entirely predictable "boo suck!" soundbite whenever the Government announces something? It's (pseudo-)balance, I guess, but I struggle to see any actual news unless Labour is going to articulate a position or some actual policy.
As for Gower -- yeah, I'm not buying the "National propagandist" angle either. He's not a Labour (or Greens or New Zealand First or Conservatives) one either. He's equal opportunity offensive, and I don't see that changing until everyone gets over their far from new obsession with being "first" or "setting the agenda" with a load of empty calories instead of nutritious reporting.
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"The missionary position's always been alright for us, so why change?"
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John Drinnan politely opined that Patrick Gower is "sun struck" by John Key.
Well, I'd not at all politely opine that Drinnan could more usefully ask when the fuck Bernard Orsman is going to get professional help for his Brown Derangement Syndrome but I guess speaking truth to the power that signs your pay cheque is too much to ask.
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“Do you personally think Judith Collins should remain a cabinet minister following the Oravida conflict of interest allegations?”
Since I do not now, never have and never will get to dish out ministerial warrants why does it matter?
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No, it's the question. "No" could mean a whole range of things. It's a bullshit polling question.
And since we don't directly elect our executive branch of government, what's the point of asking the question at all? Seriously. I'd like to know -- if I dropped my wallet in the street I'd trust both David Cunliffe and John Key to return it without *cough* helping themselves to a finder's fee. Doesn't really signify when it comes to casting either of my votes.