MEDIAWATCH: Will Maiki Sherman roll over for National again?
TVNZ press gallery staff stand accused by the National Party of pressuring an MP and whip ‘about how he would be portrayed on Breakfast’. TVNZ says it was asking legitimate questions and has a ‘different view’ of what happened.
The National Party has laid an official complaint with TVNZ over what it describes as the “unacceptable” behaviour of a member or members of the broadcaster’s press gallery staff during an incident at Parliament this week.
But TVNZ says one of its journalists was asking legitimate questions on behalf of the public and it has a “different view” of what took place.
Senior National MP Simeon Brown today accused TVNZ news staff of breaching parliamentary rules by following National whip Stuart Smith into a corridor area this week, “an area where media interviews are not allowed without express permission”.
Brown wrote on X that TVNZ staff “aggressively banged on [Smith’s] door for several minutes, refusing to accept Mr Smith declining to add further to a statement he had already made”.
Brown did not specify how many TVNZ staff were involved.
Brown further alleged that TVNZ staff “pressured him [Smith] about how he would be portrayed on Breakfast the following morning if he did not come out to talk to TVNZ”.
Political editor Maiki Sherman, who is part of and leads the TVNZ press gallery team, has also been approached for comment.
Speaker Gerry Brownlee had seen Brown’s social media post, a spokeswoman for Brownlee said today.
“He’s read the post and is aware of what happened last week, did not have involvement in the complaint being lodged and has no further comment about this.”
Smith was at the centre of an exclusive report by the NZ Herald last Friday. That story reported Smith had earlier been trying to reach the Prime Minister, without success, to discuss with him flagging leadership support from some members of his caucus.
Smith finally commented on that article this week – four days later – and denied trying to contact the Prime Minister.
NZME
The real issue here are National’s attempts to portray the media as the enemy of the people.
The question is how far will Political Editor Maiki Sherman will roll over for National’s agenda after her disgraceful throwing of fellow TVNZ Political Journalist Benedict Collins under the bus for Police Minister Mark Mitchell because Collins did journalism…
…to recap.
National were so desperate to pretend crime had dropped because of their policies (when that isn’t true) that the Police Minister publicly attacks the State Broadcaster for not platforming his propaganda and the Political Editor Maiki Sherman throws TVNZ political reporter Benedict Collins under the bus and backs up the bloody Police Minister!
Not only is Sherman wrong about the issue, to turn on a fellow journalist and side with the powers she is supposed to challenge is a gutless spinelessness that the Political Editor of TVNZ can’t have!
She’s acting as the editor for the National Party, not Fourth Estate Journalism!
Benedict Collins embarrassed the Government by telling the truth about crime in NZ and Maiki Sherman has sided with those attempting to manipulate the story rather than stand by her reporter!
Her role as Political Editor at TVNZ is utterly compromised and she should have been sacked after her grovelling apology to Mark Mitchell, so how she will acquiesce to her political masters in their new narrative to frame the Fourth Estate as the enemy of the people will be exciting to watch.
Get the pop corn 🍿
Journalists are the one group more despised and mistrusted than politicians.
Apart from some political tragics, most people will back the complaint.
OMG the bleating from National, the party that has ridden rough-shod over the people of NZ, fast tracking self-gratifying changes to Bills/Policies, especially Maori and Environmental legislation. All without the required input, without transparency and with no due process whatsoever! Going forward we must agree to a bare minimum of support, eg 65% in favour. Now they can’t get their own way they are whinging and firing accusations at TVNZ. We have all had enough of their never-ending corruption and lying. They still don’t get it – you reap what you sow! Sherman needs to carefully pick her side.