MEDIAWATCH: Alt-Right Culture War Billionaire Jim Grenon should pay defamation bill
The Jim Grenon defamation case isn’t just about who pays legal costs — it’s about influence, money, and the growing role of wealthy actors shaping New Zealand’s media landscape. If funders can bankroll cases without consequence, what does that mean for accountability?
TVNZ has signalled it may pursue costs from businessman Jim Grenon following a failed defamation claim against the state broadcaster by anti-co-governance campaigner Julian Batchelor.
Batchelor revealed during a four-day civil hearing in the Auckland District Court last December that Grenon – now a director and the biggest shareholder of media firm NZME – was helping fund his case.
When billionaires bankroll the narrative
Grenon decided to fund Batchelor’s case in 2023. He became a major shareholder of NZME, owner of the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB, in 2025.
On Friday, lawyers representing Batchelor, Grenon, TVNZ and another defendant, Sanjana Hattotuwa, appeared on a telephone conference call before Judge David Clark, on the issue of costs.
So who should actually pay the price?
“Prior to the conference, counsel for the defendants filed a joint memorandum signalling both defendants [TVNZ and Hattotuwa] seek indemnity costs,” said Clark in a minute released on Friday afternoon.
“The costs sought are against Mr Batchelor and also Mr Grenon as a non-party.”
NZME
Alt-right billionaire Jim Grenon is the greatest threat to fourth estate journalism in NZ.
Grenon’s bigoted views on the Treaty, Trans and vaccines are as unhinged as right wing toxic plastic billionaire Nick Mowbray and far right property pimp megalomaniac Matthew Horncastle…
…Grenon set up Right Wing Hate blog ‘The Centrist’ which is a clearing house for toxic right wing trolls like Ani O’Brien, Cameron Slater, Rhys Williams and the Taxpayers Union.
Grenon supported anti-vaxx grifter Chantelle Baker and he has backed the most racist man in New Zealand, Julian Batchelor.
Grenon is causing culture war fanaticism and he should be forced to pay all the damages that he’s helped Batchelor cause!
No one else will denounce Grenon or the rest of these Billionaire class arseholes because everyone else is toll beholden to them.
Not The Daily Blog – we bow to no one!
I imagine many of you will despise Grenon as much as I do. If so boycott his businesses. He couldn’t make it in the big smoke so simply arrived here to boost his ego. Clearly he is a racist narcissist, as is Batchelor, and neither will change. Why won’t NZ stand up to these vile, bullying interlopers? So TVNZ do get back your costs and Grenon and cohorts shove off, we don’t want the likes of you in our country. You’re beyond HORRIBLE!