National Party Stooge Mike Hosking has hit back at Winston Peter’s calling him a National Party Stooge.
The joke here is that the mainstream media must pretend to be balanced so that their facade of objectivity can remain in place.
It’s a facade that has become harder and harder to believe. Since the killing off of all progressive voices in the media landscape and the Dirty Politics revelations of how close that mainstream media worked with the PMs Office via far right hate speech merchant Cameron Slater to smear and attack progressive voices, the role of the biased corporate media in NZ politics since National took power 7 years ago is a text book study of why we need a properly funded public broadcaster.
The reality is that most thinking NZers know the corporate media are fronted by Broadcasters who are there because they are idealogical acolytes. Sure they might ask the odd hard question here or there, but Paul Henry, Mike Hosking, Leighton Smith, Sean Plunkett, Duncan Garner and Patrick Gower have their roles because they are trusted to keep the discussion within the parameters of the hard right.
Anything that seriously challenges the myths of neoliberalism are simply not allowed on or are mocked. This vast right wing corporate echo chamber means it’s this narrow public space of permitted debate that gets amplified. Why Duncs and Heather are allowed columns to push their tedious thoughts, why Hosking gets cross over media deals, why Henry is on TV, Radio and the Internet simultaneously – it’s a control mechanism for our attention so a seamless narrative of neoliberal thought can smoother and shut down any oxygen challenging those voices.
We have 305 000 children in poverty, state houses so cold they are freezing people to death, corrupt private prisons, charter school failures, a Government that is abusing political power in a way never seen in this country before, growing inequality and the rich getting richer while the poor line up outside food banks and a mass surveillance system run amok. Yet the hand picked pundits and broadcasters tell us that Key is a ‘moderate’ and that his supposed ‘moderation’ is the secret to his success.
We no longer have 4th estate watchdogs, we have propaganda lap dogs.
National Party Stooge David Farrar has attempted to twist all of this into an example of the Left not wanting diverse opinion.
It’s hilarious…
The opposition parties are showing their true colours.
When TV3 made a commercial decision to change Campbell Live, resulting in the departure of John Campbell, MPs from Labourand Greens decried this as terrible. They said the media needs strong voices. They said it was appalling that John Campbell would no longer be on the air.
However yesterday we saw the opposition parties effectively demand that Mike Hosking be taken off the air, because – well he doesn’t always agree with them.
…so says the biggest National Party stooge in NZ. Farrar is a paid consultant/pollster for the National Party so anything he has to say is as unbiased as anything Sky City VIP gold card member Mike Hosking has to say about Sky City.
1 – TV3 did not make a ‘commercial decision’ they made a political decision to kill off Campbell Live.
2- Mike Hosking is a National Party stooge who is on the last remaining public broadcast TV station, that’s the difference. Add to this the fact that Seven Sharp is a bastardised current affairs lite fluff show where ideas go to die, and criticism as to how this show operates is completely legitimate.
If people don’t like what Hosking says, they can choose not to watch him, listen to him or read him.
Sure David, but he’s on a taxpayer funded TV station, so actually they do have a right to demand more than just ‘I’ll switch off’ as a solution.
If you think he really is biased, then you can complain to the Broadcasting Standards Authority, the Press Council or the Online Media Standards Authority.
Many of us have, but we’ve all soon how toothless those organisations are.
Instead we have a Muldoon like attack on the media, because basically Little says Hosking doesn’t agree with Labour enough.
Pfft, look it’s not that Mike has ridiculous right wing opinions, that’s fine, but there is never any counter weight to those ridiculous right wing opinions. News producers only put people on who agree with him, or they put weak progressive voices (like Jose Pagani) who you can’t tell if she’s arguing for the right half the time.
Professor Jane Kelsey destroyed Hosking in under 10 minutes, you can bet she won’t be allowed on the show ever again.
But back to Farrar…
Here is the true hypocrisy. John Campbell had plenty of opinions. Does Andrew Little think John Campbell should not have had a prime slot? Of, course not. Little is just against media who don’t agree with him.
…BUT HOSKING IS ON A PUBLIC BROADCASTER – for the millionth time Farrar, TV3 is a private company, if they want to kill of a true public broadcaster like John Campbell for political reasons, that’s their right (just as it is our right to boycott them for doing that), but TVNZ has wider obligations to take on board. Farrar is ignoring this so he can make his spiteful little point.
Back to Farrar…
The vast majority of editorials and opinion columns in Fairfax and APN publications are critical of the Government.
On Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon show, you can go all week without hearing anyone say anything vaguely supportive of the Government.
Anyway it is a good thing that Labour and Greens have shown their true feelings. They want a media that agrees with them and they will publicly attack and denigrate people in the media who don’t agree with them.
Who will be next on their hitlist?
…this is ridiculous. The sudden spike in mildly critical editorials is more market dynamics of those media outlets needing to pretend to be balanced in the face of liberal and educated readers walking away in droves than genuine criticism of the Government.
As for Farrar’s last point, seeing as he was donkey deep in the Dirty Politics scandals and is an apologist for a Government who have done more to intimidate and denigrate real investigative journalism in this country than any before it, trying to manufacture the opposition into a thought crime big brother state is ludicrous because he’s already helped National build it.
All are collaborators for the rich and foreign money they say.
Benglish should be in the picture with Sjoyce.
All are now masters of the propaganda machinery that keeps the rotten NZ Inc’ afloat Martyn as they plot their crimes against the state.
We will remember them all when they are banished.
Is Patrick Gower really a Nat stooge? I always got the feeling he was just a muckraker of scandal and sensationalism at anyone’s expense (which is similar, but doesn’t quite mean he’s for National).
And the very seldom few times I ever donotlink’d to Whalescum or Farrar I’ve seen comments moaning about how he (and Guyon) is a puppet of the left.
I fully support the point that his rubbish hardly qualifies as journalism, which is indirectly pro-Nat I guess.
Yes I agree with that Roy. He’s just avery bad journalist. But then thats the point you are making!!
Ah Martyn we are fully in synch again.. On this anyway.
Yesterday morning I made mention on my own wall of the
Conference call held between the PM’s Press Office, and the Infotaintment sector..
Henry, Hoskings, Plunket, Gower, Farrer etc and of course most of the top strata of Mediaworks, Stuff Herald, and their other co-opted shill staffers..
As a fair few are very obviously reliant on contract renewal and are mostly submissively compliant to ensure it Thankful it is now as obvious to others as it is to me.
Chuck in most of you pupportedly Left (wrong) wing as well as Right (wrong) ‘commentators’ and ‘personalities’ we are presented with to give is the fallacy of bAlAnCe..
We urgently need to be ringing them or invading their online posts and threads and calling them OUT ON IT.. I am ACTively encouraging it from this week.. MISGUIDED as that may be 😉
A spot for Hosking on National’s next party list?
Or a knighthood?
Sir Mike Hosking?
Sir Paul Henry? what About Sir Cameron Slater? I wouldn’t be surprised!
Hosking, Smith, Williams, Gower, Slater, Farrar et al … rent boys servicing NatzKEY!
David “Evil Friar Tuck” Farrar is one of the most disingenuous apologists for this abortion of a government. His purposeful dissembling and misdirection is what makes him so obnoxious. No one, (and he’s completely aware of this) is stating that Mike Hosking isn’t entitled to his opinion, or even to voice that opinion. The issue here is balance and National’s determination to own and control the narrative.
John Campbell is gone. Dita Di Boni is gone. The other side of the argument is losing the war of attrition, and I believe this is by design. Instead, we have 24/7 Mike Hosking, regurgitating National Party spin and evasion. And if you keep telling people that black is white, over and over, with almost no opposing view-point, you’re doing a profound disservice to the general public’s right to be informed, and be informed honestly. You’ll ultimately end up with a nation of slack-jawed knuckle-draggers who believe anything New Zealand’s version of Faux News tells them.
It’s got to the stage now where, if you have a genuine desire to know what’s going on in this country, you can’t rely on mainstream media voices to enlighten you. They’re irreparably tainted by corporate/political influence. Stories are either spun to favour the government of the day, or omitted completely. Instead, we get “Kylie Jenner has a bunny. And she’s named it Bruce.” So, due to lack of options, you source your information overseas, or from blogs. And as much as I admire TDB, and The Standard and other websites who won’t lie to me, either by omission or outright, I should still be able to turn on my television and be told the truth. Perhaps I’m just naive.
NZ is undergoing an unprecedented revolution in mainstream media. The mainstream is now a right wing wolf in sheep’s clothing. Editorial and comment censorship is rife, armies of trolls are equipped with dirty political strategies to divert and dilute reasonable discussion. Marketers work in cahoots with sly corporates and corrupt politicians to spin public opinion and smear opponents. Truth is avoided or split into malleable partials. Editors spin or are fired. The journalist profession is under constant pressure to comply with over and covert monetary influence and threat.
The narrative of Lynton Crosby through neoliberal puppets such as Key Abbott and Cameron is banked and paid for.
That the neoliberal right wing has been successful in isolating and minimising countering views for the public is more than 3rd term arrogance and ‘just politics’. It is a chilling malady attacking democratic process and freedom of public information.
To compare Campbell’s empathy for others to Hosking’s slavish adoration of Key and the National party is just a nonsense.
I try not to hear or read Hosking’s shallow opinions but it’s getting harder and harder to avoid the guy. The now daily opinion pieces in the NZ Herald is just overkill.
Farrar’s comment re Labour & the Greens supposedly “attacking & denigrating” people is hilarious. Apparently it doesn’t count if your dirty politics is carried out by contractors.
NZ is undergoing an unprecedented revolution in mainstream media. The mainstream is now a right wing wolf in sheep’s clothing. Editorial and comment censorship is rife, armies of trolls are equipped with dirty political strategies to divert and dilute reasonable discussion. Marketers work in cahoots with sly corporates and corrupt politicians to spin public opinion and smear opponents. Truth is avoided or split into malleable partials. Editors spin or are fired. The journalist profession is under constant pressure to comply with over and covert monetary influence and threat.
The narrative of Lynton Crosby through neoliberal puppets such as Key Abbott and Cameron is banked and paid for.
p h h
That the neoliberal right wing has been successful in isolating and minimising countering views for the public is more than 3rd term arrogance and ‘just politics’. It is a chilling malady attacking democratic process and freedom of public information.
NZ is undergoing an unprecedented revolution in mainstream media. The mainstream is now a right wing wolf in sheep’s clothing. Editorial and comment censorship is rife, armies of trolls are equipped with dirty political strategies to divert and dilute reasonable discussion. Marketers work in cahoots with sly corporates and corrupt politicians to spin public opinion and smear opponents. Truth is avoided or split into malleable partials. Editors spin or are fired. The journalist profession is under constant pressure to comply with over and covert monetary influence and threat.
The narrative of Lynton Crosby through neoliberal puppets such as Key Abbott and Cameron is banked and paid for.
That the neoliberal right wing has been successful in isolating and minimising countering views for the public is more than 3rd term arrogance and ‘just politics’. It is a chilling malady attacking democratic process and freedom of public information.
I believe this actually started around 20 years ago or perhaps longer. Companies like Fairfax, APN, and Fox have taken over the training establishments for journalists and media people. The last thing these companies want is journalists who question the ethics and tactics of the rich, the political right and the 1%. They turn out guileless, smug stenographers who accept whatever they are told and question nothing. This is not what real journalists should do. That is why John Campbell’s loss on TV is so important. He was the last one of national importance who could equally get up the noses of both the political left and right. We needed him and that’s why he got the chop. John Key “wanted that bastard out!”, pure and simple.
Hoskings presents a very balanced political viewpoint, that is my honest opinion.
???
YOUR honest opinion, or the opinion you have been told to say and pretend it was your own?
“Hoskings presents a completely biased political viewpoint, that is my honest opinion.” Fixed that for you.
“Hoskings (plural) present ” (grammar, plural)
As suspected, it now seems clear there’s more than one of him.
Gawd help us. It’s an invasion…
We might finally see this “biased broadcaster” removed with any luck. I personally do not watch any programme he is in any way involved in.
Perhaps this “biased broadcaster” will finally be removed from Television One current affairs. I personally do not watch those programs in which he is any way involved and will continue to not do so. The sooner he is given his marching orders, the better.
As soon as I see or hear Mike Hosking, I automatically change station or hit the remote button.
Ideally, do so before you see or hear him so that the ratings machines don’t count you as a viewer.
Where is the poll from?
@ ALEX – the poll is from today’s edition of Stuff.co.nz.
Hoskings is the finest analytical journalist the country has, he gives a balanced viewpoint on everything he reports on, giving clearly both sides of the argument, which assists the viewers in making informed decisions.
Journalism will be the loser in NZ when he eventually departs from
TV One.
Seldom does a journalist with his talent appear on these shores, we are very fortunate to have a man of his journalistic ability, to front our Prime Time Current Affairs Program, Seven Sharp.
Keep Up the good work Mike. You are the man!
Jack – that has to be satire.
Right?
Hahaha, good stirring! but Mike Hosking has said he’s not a journalist so you might want to tweak it a bit though.
Ha ha ha, Jack Ramaka…r u a comedian!??
Change your surname to “UP”. Your opinions here are jacked up nonsense. …or satire.
The finest analytical journalist the country has? Surely you mean “has ever had”. Okay, I’m come clean … I reckon our deflated, holey paddle pool has more depth.
Jack, you forgot to add the Crosby Textor acknowledgement afterwards. They don’t like people quoting them anonymously, you know.
Seems Hosking’s response to Winston’s piece yesterday, has had the comments taken down in the NZH, despite being up and open to opinion this morning. Just the article appears now!
Don’t want too many Kiwi opinions to influence the rest of the masses, giving something for them to think about!
Political interference in media once again no doubt! NZH been instructed by most vile and devious leader I suspect!
Do you notice something that National Party stooges have in common? They are all arrogant and totally up themselves. They all believe they have at least demi-god status and that their opinions are worth more than gold. They belong to a new NZ media club known as the HMV Club (no links to the former music business). It contains self-styled journalists and media front people who exist only to spin out their master’s voice – the voice of their beloved master – John Key – without whom the world would stop spinning.
Wow! looks like I finally got a post through, after nearly a week of not having anything go through. Every time I tried I got an error message from the website or a match captcha error.
[My apologies, Mike. I’m doing my best to check where messages are ending up, and then re-assigning and Approving them. – ScarletMod]
The broadcasters mentioned are there for one reason only – RATINGS. In commercial radio that’s all that matters. No ratings, no advertising, no business. Simple as that. It just happens that those who get the ratings are of a right wing persuasion. Translate this into the wider picture of the country as a whole and maybe it’s part of the reason we have a centre right Government. The broadcasters mentioned are not journalists, they are people paid to have opinions which will attract listeners thereby gaining advertising through ratings success. If Newstalk ZB put presenters on with a left wing bent they would lose the majority of their current audience. They may however cultivate an audience who would prefer to listen to the different type of topics that would be discussed such as those Martyn has mentioned. If you look at the range of topics discussed the majority are not of a political nature. It is interesting to note that apart from a twelve month period when Paul Holmes began ZB has always had a stranglehold on breakfast ratings. The points raised in Martyn’s article can certainly be argued but are not central to the aim of commercial radio – RATINGS!!!
Mike don’tyouknowwhoiam hosking and Paul imonthelist Henry fill a void reserved in their golden fantasy world. Their oxygen is recognition, being noticed is everything, not being the centre of the room something they’ve no ability to process. As Bauhaus succinctly put it “a god in his alcove”.
No ratings no Mike, no Paul, eventually they will become their greatest fear; a has been
The Natz have basically got control of the NZ Media and control the disemination of information, quite scary really.
However what do you expect from a Merrill Lynch Currency Trader, he requires perfect information on the opposition so he can manipulate the market. Re election is the ultimate end game.
The NZ Media is selling us a pup!
Knighthoods are in order for Sir Richie McCaw, Sir Michael Hoskings and
Sir John Key all thoroughly deserved for services rendered to NZ society.
Then after that we can relegate Hosking and ‘PM ‘ key to shoveling coal in the cellars where they belong. With chains on their legs. With a big fat sign around their necks saying ‘treasonous pig ‘.
Following that we can nationalise ‘PM’ keys Hawaii house and Hoskings Farrari – as a recouping action to reimburse ourselves for the national theft they have encouraged.
Oh….and food for them will be milk powder – without any water to mix it with.
Execution is a more realistic reward for these traitors.
Knighthoods are like haemorrhoids. Any arsehole can get them.
The latest and probably the most pathetic round in this bout of the lightweights, this has been unleashed by Hayden Donnell of the laughably named “Newsworthy.” The comparison is made of Winstone Peters with Donald trump … on the basis of Trump’s spat with a FOX News “journalist” Yeah, I know. Still … placing 3News in the same category as FOX seems to be a bed they are happy to share. Now there’s some context for ya.
The only difference being Donald Trump is just a loud mouth with a bad hair day. Whereas Winston’s always had a great head of hair and maintains a lightning wit.
The tone of the “critical” articles about the government isn’t even important. It it whether the opinion-makers and commentators stick to the agenda – ie, the allowable issues and points of discussion.
The government places some things “on the table” for discussion. The trusted voices can then talk about them ad nauseum, they are predictable; the contrary voices are still stuck talking about the things the government wants them too.
But there are many other and more improtant issues under the table. Discussing these gets you scoffed at in the media, uninvited back. Very seldom these grudgingly make it on to thetable for discussion, in limited and grudging terms (TPP). John Campbell was one of the few, perhaps the only person who could regularly, via his show, drag issues from under the table, on to the table as legitimate issues the public and government is forced to discuss.
And when they start “declining an invitation to appear on the show”, you know they’re donkey deep in something unpleasant and simply don’t want to front it.
What is all this rubbish I read about the NZ news media being unbalanced? They are perfectly balanced – perfectly balanced to the right that is. No need to fear about falling over and looking stupid – Uncle John will take care of them.
Seems half of Newstalk ZB’s announcers now have regular (at least once or twice a week) columns in the NZH! Hosking, McIvor, Williams and Smalley!
An undeniably obvious slant to the right there!
Where’s the balanced, objective reporting from media, supposedly the proxy of the people?
All part of Crosby Texters PR Marketing Strategy for the Natz/Tories.
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