Interesting recent stats on the news media is that it is now 60% female.
This as abuse towards journalists soars.
This level of abuse is immediate to any journalist with social media. Where once upon a time the Editor would shield their journalists from the crazier complaints, journalists are now 24/7 targets of abuse.
I think alongside the tidal wave of abuse has been a vast decrease in quality news journalism in NZ.
The 7pm lite entertainment altars of Current Affairs on both TV1 and TV3 are a brain injury to the concept of the Fourth Estate.
ZB Talking points are ridiculously shallow.
Today FM has gone backwards in the ratings.
Breakfast on TV1 is infinitely sad and insufferably Australian on The AM Show.
State journalism funds are used to hire diverse voices and promote Government social policy rather than actually challenge the power structures of New Zealand.
The amount of journalism based on social media comments is depressing.
A lot of the opinion pundits are simply not worth reading.
The Panels regurgitate the same safe opinions.
I believe that a mass media platform like TVNZ with RNZs public broadcasting journalism standards is the best bet for journalism that actually matters because what we have currently is tedious at best, middle class virtue signalling at worst.
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The whole structure is broken and shouldn’t be funded anymore. The journalism fund is just Labours last ditch effort to defend the gated institutional narrative but this too will fail.
Some words starting with J:
Jacinda
Journalists, Jo Moir, Janet Wilson, Jessica MM, Jenna Lynch, Jane Paterson, Josie Pagani
Jaundiced
Jealousy?
Abuse or criticism?
According to a recently released Massey University ‘Worlds of Journalism’ study into journalism in New Zealand the biggest mover on the “roles of NZ journalists” table between 2015 and 2022 is that more journalists favour supporting government policy and conveying a positive image of political leadership.
Swathes of our MSM has forgotten that they’re to hold the government to account, not to be cheerleaders for them. And they should be roundly criticised for this.
Not just the government
Our media need to start holding the opposition to account.
National have made some astonishing claims over the last couple of years – many have not aged well .
On the bright side – Bishop’s purpose built MIQ should be completed by election time .
Yes scotty, completely agree.
Trouble is media are mainly right wing raving grumpy old men and women. – why cant we have some looney left wing ravers on the radio – r even some labour biased commentators. Same with the herald giving failed loser politicians like Joyce and Prebble and commentators like Hooten, Osullivan, Smellie,etc air time. ALL FREE NATIONAL PARTY POLITICAL BROADCASTING.
I actually heard Tova doing that the other day with the leader of the opposition.
Yes Ernie I agree.
May be that depends on the medium but I think is bollocks . How many positive stories are out there about anything policy related? No it doesn’t matter which party is in because the bias always seems to be toward. What would be great to see is reporting without opinion. Just tell us what’s happening without giving us your opinion.
Martyn
This new super duper media platform you so love….it’ll be the new platform of truth yes? Whichever truth is prescribed on the day of course. “Read this or you are fired.” Mate, we all know how this super expensive merger will pan out. And very soon, you will be the first to outrage about the shit quality of it.
Well having TVNZ as public not private will be a big step up SK – do you ever look at anything from both sides to find if there is a net positive and assessing if the negatives alongside are acceptable? Some movement on the terms of the above is better than demanding 95% better. We are in a debilitated state.
Our so-called ‘news’ media is in a sorry state. Low quality, ill-informed, lack of depth, and often biased in various ways. It can attack the government on some things eg the endless beat up over crime, and constantly saying the government is not doing enough.
Women on social media generally, not just female journalists, get a high level of abuse. Misogyny is pretty rife.
agree
You know our MSM is in the poo, when the 6pm news broadcasts events such as the war in Ukraine or a dairy worker’s murder and then in the same breath spouts a piece of celebrity gossip/tripe that really should remain in the weekly glossy magazines or in this day and age on fb
amen.
I’d add to that that it’s worldwide tho, from India to New Zealand to America to Europe. With the war in Ukraine, I started re-watching the news from my native country and I was shocked by how the standards have slipped. Basically C&P’s of CNN or Fox News, and lacking in substance.
I don’t know if the pay-per-click model is responsible for it, or the fact that Massmedia are tightly controlled by Corporatiions or the State.
The parliament protests were a turning point both for government polls but also perception of the media.
It was blatantly obvious to anyone non partisan that what government and media were describing as transpiring on the front lawn initially, was not, as evidenced by multiple camera feeds and the handful of journos or politicians with credibility who actually went and talked to protestors.
We all saw the MSM become simple repeaters of government spin.
Then the $55 million buy off of any remaining integrity to push the government radical treaty interpretation and co governance agenda.
Small wonder they are now a loathed profession, they have become the opposite of what their purpose is – holding government to account- and are just mouthpieces for government propaganda.
Thanks to technology we’re all journalists now – as every thug regime in the world is discovering. And we as ordinary people are discovering that we’re actually smarter and better at it than “journalists”.
Quit Stuff, every click is doing you harm.
And it’s most probably why most folks don’t believe mainstream media. Because it’s all a bit vague kumbyah wokery jiggery bland nonsense. It’s an echo chamber.
as white working class young males are now disadvantaged in many fields(education for one) should not the ‘parity warriors’ who think representantion equals competence be agitating to increase the quota of that ‘oppresed group’, yeah and then a pink elephant flew past my window.
The end is nigh
Babylon is a trap for your soul
The article Martyn has linked to says journalists rate ” as poorly as the politicians they report on – and used car sellers – when it comes to trustworthiness” …
and then goes on to demonstrate why New Zealand’s MSM thoroughly deserves such a bad rap.
I get it: journalism now 60% female + “soaring” abuse = an epidemic of toxic masculinity and hate speech!
Journalists rate below politicians. Talkback hosts rate at the bottom of the ladder. The only ones below them are the talkback callers especially those who believe the former.
Perhaps there’s a ‘correlation’ between more women in journalism, and poorer quality journalism.
Perhaps they’re just not up to scratch, and deserve some of the derision they get.
Perhaps all this diversity hiring is simply the chickens coming home to roost.
Dangerously close to “hate speech” there, Rusty.
Must now employ more men to correct the imbalance.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
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