Rubbish reporting by rubbish journalists

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On Sunday’s TV3 news political editor Patrick Gower was critical of Bill English’s hesitancy when answering a question about the implementation timeline for National’s policy that every child at primary school will be able to learn a second language if they want to.

As far as Gower was concerned it showed a failure by English.

So instead of TV3 offering a proper critique of the policy with comments from educationalists (who would applaud the policy while deriding the extra money on the educational disaster which is national standards) TV3 reported to its viewers what Gower regarded as some sort of weakness by English in communicating the policy.

It was all about Gower point-scoring against a politician.

Phil Goff received the same treatment a few years back as Labour Leader when he couldn’t recall off the top of his head the detailed figures of the revenue a capital gains tax would bring in several years down the track. Another failure. Another point for political journalists.

This sort of rubbish reporting has become a daily occurrence where the political commentators see their role not as reporting or analysing the news but as media personalities whose job it is to catch out politicians on our behalf.

If you want discussion or analysis of policy – forget it. Coverage of policy is as shallow as a birdbath. It’s the political sideshows that make the news.

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It seems media corporates think politics is too boring for mass media broadcasting – just look at the Herald’s website – and so the job of political journalists is to sex it up to increase ratings. Baiting politicians provides the entertainment to squeeze into the small gaps between the advertisements.

These media organisations also believe we can’t think for ourselves.

Instead, political journalists – just a handful left now – tell us what we should think.

How many times have we heard one of them deliver something like this:

“This is a bad look for (name of political party) – they will be hurting with this revelation/policy/pratfall. They can expect to be punished in the polls – people won’t like this”

Then the self-fulfilling prophesy is reported.

“As we predicted they are down in the latest poll because… blah blah blah”

This is what corporate-controlled broadcasting has reduced political discussion to – a series of sideshows where they tell us what to think.

It’s all very Orwellian and makes an unanswerable case for high quality, public service broadcasting.

But for this election campaign at least we can only expect more of the same.

It’s rubbish reporting by rubbish journalists.

21 COMMENTS

  1. Fran O’Sullivan, Audrey Young, Rodney Hides Sunday Herald column and now they’ve rolled out aging John Armstrong, are all writing with a right wing mantra. Attack Labour on Tax. None of them are asking how National will pay for any of their bribes and none are asking how a second language or going after Freedom campers is going to be a social investment for N.Z.
    The MSM with the above aforementioned are so very very outdated and negative but I guess that’s what sells papers.

    After 9 years and a burgeoning debt, N.Z. is in a dire social hole, National are doing nothing(except lining their own pockets) as clearly shown by their lack of policy. Labour are trying to find a financial way to repeal the viscous damage done by National. It would do the above journalists(I don’t count Hide in that description) well to realise that the “I’m alright Jack” attitude, just one day might come to slap them on the backside when they’re sitting in a rest home waiting for their arses to be cleaned and have to sit in their own excrement.

    • Stands to reason though, with a privatized media , released under neo liberalism , that this is what you get.

      And it shouldn’t surprise us one bit.

      These wankers couldn’t give a shit about honest reporting and being guardians of our democracy , – literally couldn’t give one flying shit about it.

      The ONLY thing that motivates these arseholes is this, – $$$$$$$$$$$$$.

      And THAT’S IT.

      So of course they will not bother themselves with keeping the politicians honest. They will play gotcha politics instead. And if that doesn’t work , -their online ‘reporting’ is stuffed full of soft porn articles and advertising , designed to titivate , not inform.

      Just look at the crap dished up by the NZ Herald these days. Puerile garbage. Look at your programs on TV , – lightweight crap American sitcoms with a few cooking and renovation programs repeated for the thousandth time.

      These people are wankers, – and the sooner you realize that the better.

      Then you will not be so shocked and dismayed by the complete arse licking behavior shown by the majority of them in sucking up to and taking orders from propagandists like Stephen ‘ Dildo’ Joyce.

      Or have we all forgotten so quickly their performance in framing Kim Dotcom and falsifying what REALLY transpired at the Internet / Mana launch???

      Fake photo / film footage, barging in to accost Dotcom after being told this was not the time at the party launch , TOTALLY ignoring party policy’s , – and then to add a viscous little twist of their own like the little tailless sperms they are from Donkey , – worked hand in hand with the odious blubber whale boy quoting what that slob said as gospel truth.

      How do I know?

      I worked as security at a particular TV station.

      There was a young weasel who ( he had a habit of clinging on like grease to anyone he deemed in authority or seniority ,.. total little sleazeball ) as I learned the layout of the building felt it important to inform me of all the ‘big names’.

      And one of those ‘ big names’ was involved in the IMP launch sabotage. This weasel pointed a certain character out and said he ‘ worked so hard and really does his research spending hours online’…

      Yeah right.

      This mousy , lank haired ‘ journalist’ was doing nothing more than feeding and being fed off the Whaleoil site. THAT was where this ‘ hard working journalist ‘ was getting his information from!

      And , – to cap it all off , – this spoilt brat ‘ journalists’ father was a National party MP at the time.

      So now you see after putting two and two together that THIS is the state of vested interest ‘ journalism’ in this country. And THIS is how these scumbag shitters influence our democracy and electoral outcomes in New Zealand.

      A small group of individuals , utilizing modern electronic communications, with mutual vested interests in keeping neo liberalism in a state of perpetual ascendancy , backed by govt funding and bail outs, working as tools for the New Zealand Initiative and the National party as their public front…

      THIS is who is subverting the democratic process by influencing public opinion . These sorts of wankers.

      A motley , sordid collection of shallow, narcissistic and privileged egotistical wankers who couldn’t give a flying fuck if some poor homeless bugger dies in a gutter. Just so long as they live a comfortable life and enjoy their debatable local ‘fame’ to stroke their ridiculous egos.

      Pathetic.

      And if you still dont believe political interference via the media is not happening in this country , – JUST REMEMBER that once John Campbell ran a series of articles on Campbell Live investigating the obvious collusion between the visit of the USA’s NSA , John Key , and the employment of Ian Fletcher in the entrapment of Kim Dotcom,…

      He was soon sacked as John Key was put on the back foot regarding his complete bullshitting lies about the existence of the XKEYSCORE public surveillance programs. And that would of been by using Stephen ‘Dildo’ Joyce’s extensive media contacts when he owned TV3.

      Dissecting the GCSB bill – Campbell Live (Kim Dotcom scandal …
      Video for Dissecting the GCSB bill – Campbell Live (Kim Dotcom scandal)▶ 16:11
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxytPFfTozE

      John Key discusses Dotcom saga – YouTube
      Video for John Key discusses Dotcom saga▶ 17:29
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1xwiyNl8w

      This country is in a complete and absolute shambles after nine years of this odious corrupt National govt. My only consolation is that when Adern becomes Prime Minister, – and she will , – she wont be giving these sorts of subversive scumbag shitters the time of day. And they know it.

      Revenge is a dish best served cold.

      • Yes now how about NZ MSM write something on the HYpocrasy that is English…

        “National leader Bill English said he wouldn’t rule Peters out of a National-NZ First government on the basis of what he’s heard so far.

        “We don’t know what the facts are. All we know is Winston Peters has put out a statement and there will be a set of questions there that everyone will be keen to ask him.”

        English told RNZ that Peters would have to explain himself.

        “We all have to explain ourselves in those situations.”

        His advice to Peters was to “explain the facts”.

        It appears Bullshit Bill doesn’t adhere to his own rules.

        If only he explained himself over Todd Barclay and the 450 texts?

  2. Spot in John. Political reporters in this country are the laziest breed of journalist (lazier than sports jocks). They barely leave the artificial confines of Wellington’s bureaucratic chattering circles to get their juicy tidbits. Or they whip-up a frenzied response – like the one you paint of the Kermit the Frog-like Patrick Gower – to create a so-called story. Can you imagine Audrey Young pouring over policy documents, analyzing data or wearing our good old fashioned shoe leather, to craft a decent report? Instead, she and her smug ilk are more akin to the old hags who sat watching be-headings at the guillotine.

      • However MSM can’t lie about this…

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11912604

        What is so real about this, is that English has lost the pulse of ALL New Zealanders. National have lost middle New Zealand on the real issues condemning New Zealand, not non issues like learning two languages or attacks on freedom campers. Are National’s strategists deliberately trying to lose this election?

        The housing crisis arrogant denial is another nail in Nationals coffin and clearly Englishes dour persona doesn’t reach middle New Zealand.

  3. Hi John
    We do have public service broadcasting – but unfortunately its as poor as the rest of them – with one exception John Campbell – the others – Espiner and Ferguison too are just want to create headlines for the next news hour

  4. Dear Media works NewZealand
    I’m just wondering why it is you are not talking to me about my allegations towards Miss Bennett{whom by the way is really Mrs Philps by marriage} as i am the person who blew the whistle on her corruption. I was also wondering why you are using Miss Turei as a distraction to take the attention away from Miss Bennett. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have publically, but understand that you are too scared to ask me the questions that need to be asked. I am wondering when you are going to do your jobs and be real reporters, as what you are doing is an embarrassment to your profession.
    Thank you

  5. The TV and radio faux journalists are interested in the “gotcha” game as if it is all some big quizz with the main prize being Prime Minister.
    We deserve a lot better than the one dimensional dross that we get continually served up to us, but unfortunately it is not likely to get any better soon with a MSM who are fascinated by presidential-style politics.

  6. Switch the f***** off!
    Who is pulling the network strings I ask?
    Don’t watch their stupid debates.
    Don’t fill in any bogus voter surveys
    Dont answer any polls.
    Time to look around you and ask yourself is this the New Zealand I want? People/kids living in cars, hungry? In a country with abundant furtile land and surrounded by rich seas?
    9 years of greed and BAD MANAGEMENT and BAD ATTITUDE.
    Time to move on!

  7. yes Bert agree. Bill said Hamilton is one area where homelessness has almost been eliminated. Yet a day later a gentlemen who runs the cities mission for homeless men in Hamilton said Quote ” in the last three months they have never been so busy”. So who do we believe. I for one know who I believe and it ain’t bill.

  8. The thing I feel most these days is powerless.
    I feel utterly powerless to do, achieve, enact anything that might have even the remotest effect on the swindlers, liars, cheats and frankly arsehole ugly bastards who control my life. I write here, I talk to others, I down graded my fabulous home to a more modest though debt free abode. I have an older car, I bottle fruit, I make my own bread, anything that enables me to, in some small way, not engage in their nasty, narcissistic little games.
    They control our supermarkets, our local governments, our police, no doubt our military, our basic infrastructure i.e. power, water, public transport etc and we must acquiesce like slaves to them and there’s no recourse at all because they also control our media, so frank, unbiased, broad-reach, information sharing is near to impossible. You wait until the fuckers get control of the internet.
    And we don’t really, actually know precisely who ‘ They’ are. We speculate and exchange theories but just who are ‘ They’ ?
    We need to find the ‘ They’ and fuck Their shit right up in my view because ‘ They’ are killing us.

    P.S. Hint: Think Bankster? They’re not able to be voted out, were never voted in and yet they appear utterly indispensable. At least that’s what their minion MSM would have us believe.
    The root cause of all our woes eminates from the Banks.

  9. @Countryboy: Yes indeed, who are they and what is their ultimate intention? To veer off this question may be the ultimate pusillanimous escapism. Who composed the mazurka that everyone is compelled to dance to even unto death and why?
    Yes Wild Katipo, the Mana Internet Launch certainly was an extraordinary event. Kim Dot Com spoke superior English than the odd creature who slithered to the forefront of N.Z. politics and just as inexplicably slithered off again not long ago. A swag of short arsed scaveging media insects swarmed, at the conclusion of the powerfully energised meeting, to the rear entrance where an exasperated Pam Corkery named them “puffed up little shits.” This was the only brief scene televised.
    Hone Harawera arrived late and was unable to speak having had an accident in the rental car he was driving to the meeting
    Parked outside the hall fence were two black Mercedes Jeeps, expensive vehicles covered with expensive looking professional signwriting denigrating Kim Dot Com. The minders of these looked like skinheads of a sort. A friend wandered over to get a close look and I followed, passing a minder who was singing an old folk song ‘The Wild Rover’ of all things. He turned and caught up with me and my friend and began uttering confused and vaguely political blather. He seemed to be quite out of it or on something so I began singing Wild Rover to see if he could be easily controlled. Quite easily as it turned out and my friend took good photos of the vehicles. I had the idea that these vehicles had followed the Mana/Internet campaign but puzzled that no one had found them newsworthy or investigated who had paid for them. Altogether alien and bizarre.

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