MEDIAWATCH: The Nation Review – Mark Jennings tears are delicious

Tracey Martin defends no cost-benefit analysis for TVNZ/RNZ merger

Former New Zealand First Minister Tracey Martin, who’s leading the TVNZ/RNZ media reforms, has defended the Government not doing a cost-benefit analysis on the mega merger. 

Nothing sums up the vested interests of private media attacking the new RNZ/TVNZ Meters quite like this joke coverage on The Nation.

Hilariously Mark’s position ends up justifying the pus wound that is Fuck Boy Island.

Good on Dita De Boni for pointing out Mark’s outrageous self interest!

The chorus of screaming that has erupted amongst private media being robbed of their NZ on Air trough is just so hilarious.

They dress this self interest up as the importance of ‘media pluralism’, like being stuck at a dinner party between the Spin-off and Stuff arguing who hates heteronormative cis white males the most, that kind of ‘pluralism’.

They are so addicted to NZ on Air money they have conformed their editorial policies to gain access to funding.

Now look, I absolutely believe that there must be Government funding for public broadcasting, this is a Fourth Estate requirement for a functioning democracy, but that funding should actually go to fucking journalism, not ‘diverse voices in the media’, which is what the funding is funding!

It’s wonderful that we have so many publicly funded angry feminist podcasts, but is it actually it doing any journalism?

We can’t starve mainstream media from funding that will generate journalism that is free from corporate constraints.

Most current affairs shows are advertised and sponsored by corporations who are actually part of the problem. We need journalism that is publicly funded that can challenge those corporations and their power over policy decisions.

We need journalism that is free of money influence.

That is what NZ on Air should be funding.

Instead it’s all middle class identity politics woke bullshit that never talks about capitalism, class or economic justice in favour of middle class social justice vegan glee clubs.

The extraordinarily gross Fuck Boy Island commissioned by TVNZ shows why the RNZ/TVNZ merger must happen, because TVNZ thinks Fuck Boy Island is public broadcasting!

RNZ would never have allowed Fuck Boy Island to occur.

Can you imagine Kim Hill judging Fuck Boy Island?

How about Ethical Slut Island?

This isn’t Public Broadcasting that uplifts or builds the people or audiences involved, it demeans. I’m no prude, if a private company wanted Fuck Boy Island, knock yourself out, go for it, but on the Public Broadcaster?

We saw on the lawns of Parliament what confused and frightened citizens led by Social media disinformation hate algorithms can cause, we need a powerful Public Broadcasting asset to combat that madness or our Democracy will be lost.

This is why we need the merger.

This is why the merger needs that $80m from NZ on Air.

This means NZ on Air are less powerful.

This means the private media who have traded editorial independence and actual journalism in for woke virtue signals are hurt financially.

This means money interests in NZ might actually be challenged for the first time.

There is a lot of vested interest in killing the merger off.

What the Government must do is sort out the alternative funding structures for NZ on Air.

The $55million Public Interest Journalism fund runs out shortly and with a cut in NZ on Air funding, the Government must find new ways to source income for NZ on Air to distribute for JOURNALISM.

The answer is something the Government are already pursuing, the Journalism Tax on Google and Facebook would raise $40million per year.

This money could be ring fenced and sent straight to NZ on Air as a market solution to funding the journalism that Google and Facebook undermine!

On top of this, TV One could go advert free so as to allow private media to benefit from the redistribution of advertising.

The Government must show private media how NZ on Air will gain extra funding to do the JOURNALISM they are obliged to provide or else continue to have the merger attacked relentlessly.

Look at how the Real Estate market saturate media with advertising and then turn on that media when they talk down real estate?

Look at how the farming interests saturate Talkback radio with advertising to always promote their political world view.

Look at how free market capitalism is NEVER challenged in any media.

When you suddenly see that, you understand why National and ACT are already promising to destroy the merger if elected.

The last thing they want is actual journalism.

It is THESE interests that need challenging from Fourth Estate Journalism, not more angry feminist podcasts on the Spin Off.

Remember, the RNZ-TVNZ merger would represent the first time in 6 fucking years that Labour actually achieved something off their manifesto, so the political capital at stake here is enormous!

BTW – The Daily Blog and The Working Group DO NOT take NZ on Air money, so throw us some love below dammit!

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