“Interest rates, oil and gold”
That RNZ tricolon has always been infuriating fluff. In the real world, analysts warn we are heading for a cliff.
Media
news
We Deserve Better
New Zealand’s media landscape is falling apart. We need a publicly-funded media entity covering television, radio and a digital platform
Writing in the time of Genocide
I want to share a writer’s journey – of living and writing through the Genocide. Because my country provides support to Israel and the US, I feel compelled to support Palestine by doing the one thing I know best: writing.
Canadian billionaire linked to right wing websites buys a near 10% of NZME shares
James “Jim” Grenon spends almost $10 million to buy a ~10% stake in the publisher of NZ Herald and owner of Newstalk ZB.
Stuff rescues Newshub
Hub.Stuff
When You Pay Peanuts, You Get Propaganda
Trust requires vigilant efforts to build and keep. This means time and money.
Nick Kelly’s email to Jacinda Ardern
In particular, I wish to acknowledge the strong compassionate leadership you took after the Christchurch Mosque attack. Your simple statement “they are us” regarding Muslims living in Aotearoa had a profound impact and broke down barriers of hate and ignorance at a time when tensions were so high. I still tear up thinking about how important your showing humanity and compassion was at that dark time. Thank you.
Democracy is on the Ballot – watershed US midterms this week.
At a campaign event last week President Biden said that in these mid-term elections “democracy is on the ballot”. This is absolutely true, and the outcome will be decided by those who show up to vote.
Youtube punishes Murdoch’s Sky News for pedalling Covid misinformation
This will have the conspiracy theorists spinning. Youtube have stopped Murdoch’s Sky News Australia from uploading videos for the next seven days after the channel uploaded videos questioning Covid and advocating for the use of alternative medicines including Donald Trump’s favourite hydroxychloroquine
The European Super League – a proposal that has united Britain
There are few issues where UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Labour Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn see eye to eye, yet this proposal has achieved just that. Rarer still to have the Second Heir to the Throne comment on such matters saying it would be “damaging.”
Einstein versus Trump*
Einstein tried to explain complex things and understand reality; Trump tried to explain it away and distort reality.
The daily critics whinge
I was just reading a post by Bryan Gould on his current perspective on news media in “The Government v. the people”. It resonated because some news and opinion media are getting tedious. It made me reflect on my current habits because much of what he is discussing is that I remember as something in my rear view mirror. Not what I do today.
MSM asking questions in a democracy
Too much repetition, or the wrong questions?
Constructive Criticism and Team Work In Politics
Team play is more important than ever in politics.
Te Whare Pounamu – Are Children Really Safe?
How seriously do Women’s Refuge, the Ministry of Social Development and Te Whare Pounamu management take child abuse concerns? This requires greater scrutiny.
Stuff is banning climate change deniers from articles and comments
Stuff have adopted a policy of banning opinion pieces and comments from climate change deniers on the basis that the science is settled and allowing space for deniers is a dangerous waste of time.
An Ineffectual Opposition Is Bad News
An ineffectual Opposition creates a vacuum that will be filled by the Mainstream and Social Media as they will assume the role of unelected and non-representative opposition in effectuo.
Censorship
It seems that if you’re the right person, harbour the correct thoughts, have the right connections, and you don’t like whatever the political opinion, news or information that’s floating about is, then you can get it banned.
Propaganda Wars.
No-one reading this blog would willfully offer support to an ideology that’s killing people, right?
The Schnews.
Apologies to the Schnews that was actually a pretty good wee publication that came out of Brighton, England.
The right to free speech
This week has seen a number of examples where right wing and religious men have said stupid things and then had their statements defended on the basis that free speech should be protected.
Bullshit upon Bullshit.
Doctors being intimidated.
Labour speaks up.
Partial transcript of a speech as reported in “The Independent”
Nothing like Mike
Turns out Mike Hosking was eminently and delightfully replaceable.
People of the Year
Time has named participants of the #MeToo campaign its people of the year. So why hasn’t the movement taken hold in New Zealand the way it has in the United States?
Election night coverage
Some places for lefties to follow the counting and take part in the talking.
Non-news News and News Non-news
A politician said their party would insist on being a part of government depending on the vote falls in September, while another gets called out for his habitual stirring at the pot of ethnic division. In a place like the South Africa of old, we all know which one would be the story. But this is New Zealand and this is now.
MSD tried to shut down housing providers
An attempt to gag emergency housing providers got quickly withdrawn when Checkpoint started making enquiries. Given this government’s record, it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that there will be further attempts to shut down bad news.
Welcome newsroom!
The shiny new newsroom website is now up and running. They have a strong team, and a great first scoop on the sale of falsely labelled “free range” eggs.
Hilary Barry quits TV3 (for TVNZ?)
All the best to Hilary Barry in whatever she chooses next.
TPPA snippets and media coverage
Snippets from recent pieces on the TPP, including The Spinoff’s José Barbosa an his take on the media coverage of the Auckland protest.
Stay Classy: TV3’s Newshrub.
TV3 have announced they are getting out of the news business and getting into cross platform media hotdesking across the continuum of diminishing eyeballs. Welcome to TV3 Newshrub, the place where no news is good news!
Q&A with Scoop’s Alastair Thompson
Scoop’s Alastair Thompson will be joining us live around 10am. Do you have questions on the future of the media, public service journalism, or plans for the Scoop Foundation? Ask them here!
Tomorrow – Q&A with Scoop’s Alastair Thompson
For 16 years Scoop has been making an enormous contribution to the NZ media landscape. On Friday at 10am Scoop’s Alastair Thompson will join us here on The Standard for a question and answer session.
Bugger the Truth – Getting elected means fooling the poeple
So, its is not that the voters are idiots, as some suggest the Left are claiming, it is that the Right deliberately lie and mislead to get a vote, on false pretenses. It is the Right who constantly treats voters as gullible idiots, And a media, strangled by shrinking budgets and reduced personnel with less and less time to research rather than regurgitate. Couple that with an increase in non-journalists hogging the space set aside for reporting and elucidating news events… what chance the voter?
BuzzFeed?
