Deputy PM Winston Peters says he is ‘at war’ with media amid ongoing baseless claims
Peters, who has repeatedly complained about reporters not paying him enough attention, was asked to comment for this story. However, he did not respond to Stuff’s request for an interview.
He did speak to The Platform on Tuesday. During the interview, he agreed he was “at war” with the press gallery and mainstream media.
“We’re going to keep on going. We’ll see who wins,” he said.
After screaming conspiracy theories for his new conspiracy theory supporters regarding the Journalism Fund used to bribe all media, Winston is now on Culture War Media declaring ‘war’ against the media.
Let’s be clear, I wrote last year that there absolutely were problems with the way NZ on Air handed out money in this fund and blogged that the cultural guidelines acted as an editorial policy, but NZ on Air’s attempt to ensure public money wasn’t spent on anything racist did not amount to bribery as Winston claims and the public broadcasting content generated never amounted to editorial control.
Sure, there was an enormous amount of woke wank generated…
This woke cavalcade of poorly viewed taxpayer funded content created with all the same intellectual rigor of your average suburban Wellington mommy blogger trigger thresholds has produced an editorial team who are in a daily struggle session to prove who hates heteronormative white cis males the most.
…but to pretend that mediocrity amounts to bribery is not a critical evaluation of how NZ on Air spent that money, it is a move out of Trumps ‘fake news’ playbook and that is why we should all recoil in horror at what Winston is truly trying to do here.
You want a debate about the woke wank NZ on Air has funded? Let’s do that!
You want a debate about how we fund public broadcasting journalism and its fundamental fourth estate obligations? Let’s do that!
You want to a debate about journalistic standards? Let’s do that!
But to falsely claim the entire media were bribed into carrying Jacinda’s dark vaccination message is a conspiracy theory only believed by fuckwits.
Winston is starting a war with the media for the exact same reason Trump did, to challenge objective truth and twist it into whatever Winston wants it to be.
That is vastly more dangerous to the political culture than poorly viewed publicly funded woke content from NZ on Air.
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Of course it was bribery. You get the money if you tow the government line. You don’t get the money if you don’t and if you take the money and don’t you will have to pay it back.
Bullshit Jack who towed the line?
Why do you think Bomber doesn’t take a cent of nz on air money?
Something about editorial control.
Really ….not even a cent ?
He shouts it from the roof tops.
His integrity is intact.
Unlike the msm.
Not one red cent
lol
Pretty sure I’ve seen a number of articles highly critical of the government that were funded by the fund.
Chose not to or never was offered the chance?
Or did he even apply for it? If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
Bomber would have to be sedated, tied up and gagged if he accepted the PIJF. He is so far from being a government stooge it is not funny.
LOL “The $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund supported New Zealand’s media to continue to produce stories that keep New Zealanders informed and engaged, and support a healthy democracy.”
You seem to have made your own interpretation of democracy jack off, similar to Donald Trumps stolen election.
1. It’s toe the line. It’s a boxing reference.
2. Now that we have a new government and now that they will be bribing/financing the press, can we expect heaps of puff pieces about Peters, Luxon and what’s his face? That would be the logical conclusion – I guess time will tell. It certainly hasn’t happened yet.
how is that any different from reporters doing what their editor demands? Yes the media needed to adhere to some rules to access the funding but without it much of our media would have folded and then so would the 4th estate that is supposed to act as a check and balance for government – FFS
Of course politicians would like the media weakened – this would allow them to ‘do their thing’ without any form of public challenge – great for communist China and North Korea, but not so hunky doodly for a country that is supposedly an open democracy.
You need to produce evidence that the media sold their soul as the saying goes, while some people believe slogans that is more of a reflection of their lack of critical thinking than evidence that it is true. Many articles by the media supported by the fund were critical of the government, so your claim fails the fact test.
While you might be easy to bribe for a few baubles that does not mean everyone else has the same low standards.
Hipkins accusing Winston of damaging the integrity of the NZ media is a joke. Hipkins himself contributed to damaging the media long before Winston was on the scene.
Was Peters not part of the government when this 55 mil over three years was signed off? Was it an issue then? Peters is the one changing his tune for money let’s be very clear about that. As for all that shit around the mosque shootings, that would have made Sue Grey blush.
Incorrect Jack unless you van prove it?
You jack are a ram raider. That’s how it works with you, accuse someone with no basis of fact, terribly immature.
30 page PIJF contract full of fish hooks not fact enough for you?
Still waiting for it jack off? Before or after Winston was born, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Referring to the election campaign not his birth
how?
Mopping up the so called conspiracy votes is good political strategy.
Thanks Martyn for the clear analysis- what a torrid few months we are in for
Bye bye MSM
Goodbye Hosking.
Which is it @ MB? Mediocracy and journalistic standards or conspiracy around “Jacinda’s dark vaccination message”?
Don’t mention He Puapua! Peters has a long standing grudge over the media’s role in reporting his involvement. What was it that was said? The fact Winston says that he didn’t know about it either says he completely forgot that he signed it off or he can’t be trusted. Both probably.
The failure here is Luxon’s. Peter’s needs to be told to apologise, or take legal action for his claims. It is up to the Courts to decide about compliance with the law, not politicians – that’s a clear demarcation in our system and we can’t afford for those rules to be fudge over just for National’s convenience to retain NZF in coalition.
Surely the Governor General should be involved if Luxon fails to respond – continuing to deny that he was not aware of the comments is simply not acceptable.
Unfortunately, Peters knows he can hide behind parliamentary privilege, and will build a bunker on that knowledge.
The comments were made outside of parliament so privilege does not apply, though I’m sure you are right for his future performances.
The msm are shellshocked their racket is over. Matty Mclean looked like he had been given a life sentence interviewing Shane Jones. John Campbell lost his shit. Jenna is out for revenge. This is not a hard right government. We have merely returned to the centre, so hard left had we gone after years of unconstrained progressiveness.
Centre, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Jesus jack off, I note you didn’t mention Hosking, because he’s centre? Jesus Jack Christ do you smile to the right in front of the mirror when you jack off? seriously you believe your own shit.
Wrong. I’m working class left not right.
Righttttt, insert tui ad here!
Ive never voted right. never. I even voted green once.
What the left have turned into is every bit as bad as the furthest right, If you go far enough left you end up at Fascism.
We were well on the way and I surmise that if the Left had been given another three years there would have been a revolution on the streets.
Consider this a lucky break to rewind 6 years.
aren’t you a happy peasant. Still being bottle fed by the corporations that control NZ media. Is it because you like the taste of your lord barons boots and don’t want to risk having the teat taken away?
TVNZ didn’t receive any funding out of the PIJF so were Campbell and co really shell shocked? NZME might have from memory. You sound like a Hoskings fan boy so maybe ask him if he’s concerned he works for an organisation that towed the governments line. I mean clearly he loved Labour.
Not a Hoskin fan at all
Receiving the PIJF and being a wokester are not mutually exclusive.
The $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund supported New Zealand’s media to continue to produce stories that keep New Zealanders informed and engaged, and support a healthy democracy.”
You seem to have made your own interpretation of democracy jack off, similar to Donald Trumps stolen election.
You need to get your eyes checked, you obviously do not know right, left & centre. The msm are consistently centre-right with the odd touch of compassion mixed in that seems to infuriate those who believe state support should only be for the wealthy.
I wanted Labour and Greens out – default vote to National to remove them. Still happy they are gone .
Really happy with policy changes although more thought to the smoking needs to be made – in saying that what is the point of this if nicotine in vapes is there and it is as popular with youth as ever. MMP coalitions will make this sort of thing more common. Wouldn’t mind a govt explanation article in why this decision is being made – is there one out there from the powers who made this decision?
The other policy changes have my vote feeling more positive if things happen sooner rather than later.
Winston like all politicians has his positives – but they are getting harder to see in his personal attributes. I hope Luxon can reign him in – I doubt it somehow and he may wreck a good government – that same handbrake could be detrimental. Will be interesting to see how he continues but it will get tiresome if it hasn’t already.
I also blame the media a little as they know he bites so they lap it up and agenderize the story narrative very easily. It’s like giving Trump all the attention and no wonder he never goes away – this is the same for Winston in my opinion. If the media gave a shite about NZ they wouldn’t sometimes have Winston as the default wind up when there is so many more questions about why and how the coalition are going to do what.
The covid enquiry I expect may just be a waste of money but Winston and Seymore got their way in a bigger enquiry. This is MMP after all and NZ will need to get used to it as this is our forever election process I feel from here on in – three to four way coalitions.
I don’t agree on your overall take them being a better government however I agree with what you say in terms of the media. Give Winston no oxygen, no interviews yet still hold him to account. Only then will he slither into the distance.
Winston was a handbrake cancer for Labour and will be a handbrake cancer for National.
There was a reason Key ruled out working with him.
I presume then that now that it’s the National/act/Winston government that is funding this “bribery” we can now expect puff pieces about Luxon, Peters, and wossname the act guy? Perhaps journalists are slow because it isn’t happening yet. And I doubt if Winston would complain if it did happen.
Jeez Martyn, does Winnie need to be NZs Trump? Can’t we just be Aotearoan with our own peculiar characters, and not through the prism of Trump or some other nations nutcase.
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