Even if we accept Winston’s arguments they don’t amount to his redneck conspiracy theory conclusions

Winston’s insane ranting about comparing Labour’s co-governance to the Nazi regime of white supremacy and his Trumpian ‘Big Lie’ that the entire mainstream media were bribed are not disingenuous, they are malicious because even when you look at the grievance Winston is claiming (a tongue in cheek line from the Māori Party website about their DNA being special and a funding note in the Public Journalism Fund which was quickly followed up by a clarification from NZ on Air regarding editorial freedom), none of it stands up to scrutiny that would allow you to conclude co-governance was anything close to the Nazi holocaust or that the entire mainstream media were bribed!

Look, I have written many blogs critical of the funding note for Public Journalism Fund, but to their credit, NZ on Air was very clear when these criticisms were made that editorial independence was paramount…

Being sceptical about what we read or watch is entirely sensible. But wholesale cynicism toward the news – particularly at a time when disinformation thrives on unregulated platforms – can be corrosive to democracy and social cohesion.

Former editor-in-chief of the New Zealand Herald Gavin Ellis reviewed the open justice and local democracy reporting components of the PIJF. He has suggested the disinformation and conspiracy theories that emerged around the fund proved difficult to counter with factual evidence.

The problem was exacerbated when perceptions of bias or government influence on journalism were used by opposition politicians at the time to attack aspects of the PIJF and its operation.

One of the common themes of misinformation about the PIJF was that it required all bids for funding to conform to an ideologically motivated commitment to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

This arguably flowed from the fund’s general guidelines setting out a number of overarching goals, including: “Actively promote the principles of Partnership, Participation and Active Protection under Te Tiriti o Waitangi acknowledging Māori as a Te Tiriti partner.”

However, this was not a generic requirement for all funding applications.

NZ On Air did commission an external report about what a Treaty-informed reporting framework might look like. This was in response to requests from media interested in applying for funding to cover Māori issues. The report proposed establishing some journalistic principles to address structural racism and colonisation.

There’s no doubt this could have been perceived as radical by those already hostile to the Treaty’s place in public life. But crucially, the report was only published in 2022 – and these were not the criteria NZ On Air used to administer actual funding decisions.

The head of funding for NZ On Air has confirmed that not a single PIJF application was declined for failing to meet Māori reporting criteria.

…yes the funding note was woke over reach, but that in no way shape or form means that the entire media were bribed, that is a total misrepresentation of the Public Journalism Fund and a blatant falsehood…

Peters’ said the PIJF amounted to bribery of media outlets, an allegation that stems from the PIJF having a goal of supporting the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Applicants to the Public Interest Journalism Fund were asked that, when appropriate in producing funded content, to support NZ identity, culture and public interest requirements, including support for the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

However, overriding this in NZME’s funding agreements – a clause specifically requested by the company – is an acknowledgement of the absolute editorial independence of the media entity: “We acknowledge the importance of your editorial discretion as a media entity and confirm nothing in this Agreement will limit or in any way impede or influence the ability of your news reporting functions to report and comment on news stories and current events, including those involving us, as you see fit.“

…the entire media were bribed is a ‘Big Lie’ that Winston needs to tell because Winston needs the antivaxx lunatics to stay above 5%, which is why he is allowing culture war bullshit to become actual social policy, the danger for Winston is that these feral antivaxx lunatics will only be sated by a Nuremberg trial with public hangings for Jacinda and her entire family and once those feral antivaxx lunatics realise his Royal Grievance Inquiry won’t give them their public hanging, they will turn on him like a bitter estranged lover.

Look at these fuckwits…

…as for comparing co-governance with Nazism, Winston claimed to be talking about the Māori Party despite answering a question from a journalist right after his speech where he was asked if he was talking about Labour and he said, ‘yes’.

But let’s pretend Winston isn’t lying and that he’s talking about the Māori Party – well again, he’s using a one line tongue in cheek comment about Māori DNA being magical and Winston has used that to claim they are equivalent to the industrialised murder of white supremacy.

Really?

One line about Maori DNA being superior is equivalent to genocide is it Winston?

Cool story bro.

Even if we accept Winston’s arguments they don’t amount to his redneck conspiracy theory conclusions

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