MEDIAWATCH: Why would we trust TVNZ Journalism now we know Government is editor?

The damage this graph is causing TVNZs journalism brand now we now the Government are the editors is enormous…

Mediawatch: Fears of interference and influence in news

It was sparked by another story aired on 1News last Tuesday – all about the latest Crime and Victims survey showing 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime than in 2023.

Those figures were announced five days earlier – and hailed by the government as an endorsement of the government’s policies.

But they were not reported on 1 News on that day, when the same senior political reporter – Benedict Collins – instead reported on the official number of gang members overtaking the number of police officers.

Collins also pointed out the PM had said – in a pre-election debate in 2023 – this would not happen. The story also included Hamiltonians saying crime appeared to be getting worse there.

“Absolutely unbelievable that on a day that the Government announces 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime and a 22 per cent decrease in serious repeat youth offending — 1News chose instead to engage in unbalanced journalism,” police minister Mark Mitchell vented on Facebook.

Cabinet colleagues endorsed the post as “a must-read”.

On Newstalk ZB’s afternoon show the next day, Mark Mitchell said TVNZ had called him and apologised for that story.

“My message to them was: ‘if you want to maintain public confidence, just engage in balanced journalism. You shouldn’t be a mouthpiece for the opposition either.'”

It’s very unusual for a broadcaster to apologise formally to a politician like that.

It came under the headline: The Govt gets its wish from 1News – a headline on fewer crime victims.

Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy cited “concern within the wider TVNZ operation about who in the company was involved in discussions about broadcasting a second story that would include the Government-favourable statistics”.

“If there is evidence of the directors being across the decision, or involved in encouraging a second report to assuage Government criticisms, the company can be sure of another round of political attention – from opposition parties.”

And the media.

…firstly, the entire drop in violent crime shtick the Government are demanding by holding up subjective feelings of crime reports is a joke because Covid caused the spike in crime, not soft on crime policies!

The crime Stats had been falling in NZ  BEFORE Nationals new get tough on crime crap had even started!

READ THE REPORT!

Numbers of repeat serious young offenders are dropping – and no one knows why

• The Government has set a target for a 15% reduction in the number of serious and persistent young offenders by the end of 2029.
• Documents released to the Herald show a rising annual trend in the number of these offenders for three and a half years, but it has now reversed for consecutive months.
• Most of the Government’s cornerstone policies on this issue are yet to be implemented, while one that ministers are exploring is raising concern: ‘more punitive measures for recidivist families’.

Secondly, having the Police Minister attack TVNZ over his crime propaganda is as outrageous as TVNZ cowering to the Broadcasting Minister and Police Minister!

Now we now the Government can intimidate TVNZ why would we trust their journalism in an election?

This is all happening as National and ACT get ready to sell off assets like TVNZ, is the Board showing editorial cowardice so Kiwis don’t rally to protect their  Public Broadcaster?

Is this a means of desecrating whatever value TVNZ has so it can be sold off?

Why would TVNZ show such cowardice if it wasn’t to make the sale easier?

Why would we trust TVNZ Journalism now we know Government is editor?

The Police Minister shouldn’t be able to intimidate the public broadcaster, that’s the sort of thing Trump does.