Jim Grenon is a Canadian billionaire who has become increasingly associated with New Zealand media and culture war controversies, including debate around NZME, The Centrist, and far-right political narratives.

What is this article saying about the NZ Herald?

This article argues that the New Zealand Herald’s coverage of Chris Hipkins and Covid vaccine advice reflects a wider editorial shift towards anti-vax and culture war framing under billionaire influence.

Why is Chris Hipkins mentioned in this mediawatch piece?

Chris Hipkins is mentioned because the NZ Herald published a story about Covid vaccine advice for teenagers, and this article critiques the way that story was framed politically.

Why does this matter for Election 2026?

The article argues that media framing, vaccine politics and imported culture war narratives will play a larger role in shaping public opinion as New Zealand moves closer to Election 2026.

Jim Grenon’s NZ Herald Attacks Chippy Over Vaccine

The New Zealand Herald’s latest attempt to weaponise Covid vaccine politics against Chris Hipkins looks less like journalism and more like culture war positioning. With billionaire Jim Grenon’s influence hanging over NZME’s editorial direction, this latest anti-vax framing feels like part of a wider far-right project to drag the 2026 election into grievance politics.

How Jim Grenon’s culture war politics are reshaping the NZ Herald

Surprise, surprise, the anti-vax NZ Herald under new alt-right Culture War Canadian Billionaire attacks Chippy over vaccine…

Chris Hipkins says he never got the ‘unnecessary risk’ advice on teens and Covid vaccine. This Cabinet paper shows otherwise

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NZ Herald

… alt-right Culture War Canadian Billionaire Jim Grenon has backed the far-right Hate blog, ‘The Centrist’ which has become a crucial clearing house for Toxic Right Wing Hate troll content that aligns with their anti-Trans, anti-Vax, anti-Māori editorial line.

He backed virulent anti-Māori racist Julian Batchelor…

How billionaire Jim Grenon became involved in a defamation case against TVNZ

…and he backed anti-vax lunatic Chantel Baker…

Chantelle Baker ordered to pay $100,000 bond ahead of defamation case against Stuff

…Grenon’s far-right culture war belief structure has compromised their editorial position to the point that even Sir Ian Taylor has cancelled his subscription to the Herald…

‘A question of trust’: Why I’m walking away from the NZ Herald

Today I cancelled my subscription to the New Zealand Herald.

I did not do this lightly, but I can no longer reconcile what I read in The Herald this week with the values I believe New Zealand stands for.

My decision comes in the wake of a recent court case involving rhetoric that has been found, by that court, to be racist. Those statements included:

Stuff

…so the Herald is utterly compromised now towards Grenon’s far-right Culture War revenge fantasies.

Why the Herald’s vaccine framing matters in Election 2026

TDB has been pointing out how other journalists at NZ Herald promote Grenon’s culture war fantasies, so it is no surprise they are now attempting to frame Chippy over advice received regarding second vaccine shots for teenagers.

Firstly, we are talking tiny number of people impacted.

Winston is singing it up because he’s a right wing whero-neck anti-vaxxer who plays to this electorate by insinuating that Chippy is somehow part of a shadowy cabal of WHO technocrats trying to inject our babies with poison.

The need by the Herald to promote anti-vax hysterics is driven by Grenon’s well-known future war pandering.

NZ Herald is becoming Fox News in jandals

This will only get worse as we get closer to the election.

NZ Herald is now Fox News in jandals.

As Election 2026 draws closer, expect more of this imported grievance politics dressed up as news. The danger is not simply bad journalism — it is the deliberate manufacture of distrust, resentment and culture war panic for political gain.