RIP Patrick Gower Political Editor 2012-2017
Patrick Gower is standing down as the Political Editor at Newshub…
Patrick Gower steps down as Newshub’s political editor
Patrick Gower is stepping down as Newshub’s political editor at the end of the year.“The theme of politics this year has undoubtedly been ‘change’. It is time for a change for me. I’ve had a good run,” Gower told Newshub.
He will move to a new role of National Correspondent next year.
Gower has worked in the parliamentary press gallery for 10 years, eight of those with 3 News and Newshub, the past five as political editor.
…Patrick Gower isn’t so much a journalist as he is a barking dog that chases every stationary car he can see. I enjoy watching his work for the pure bloodsport element, when his eyes roll into the back of his head as he starts his death spin on whatever unfortunate soul has been stupid enough to be interviewed by him, you watch with all the excitement of a really gruesome snuff movie.
The homicidal chipmunk of NZ current affairs represents the mixed martial arts of journalism.
As an agent of the fourth state that holds the powerful to account, he is devoid of any credibility, value or character for any progressive voter.
Paddy is to journalism what Trump is to journalism. Gower is a sadistic gladiator pretending to be a surgeon whose service is to his own brand of ego promotion than insightful broadcaster.
He’s being moved along because he probably has very few contacts within the Left to be able to have any real view of what’s happening and he probably costs the network a small fortune and as broadcast TV is getting mauled…
…the network want to use him beyond politics to justify paying him.
Paddy stepping down as Political Editor is like losing a villain in a zombie apocalypse TV series, you miss him because he was so good at being so bad.
Here’s to you Paddy…
Sometimes it really is a case of “better the devil you know…”, any word on who they have to replace him?
MSM is a factory for terrible journalism. My grandfather actual ran TVNZ news room for years and he tried everything he could to raise standards. But when he retired standards dropped dramatically. He was the last of the old school I guess who new a thing or two about MSM. Said he’d rather have a mongrel journalist than a good one. Yet he didn’t mean a journalist who blithely staked the fortunes of the industry on a roll of the dice, as if journalism were up for the highest advertising revenue. A mongrel journalist was one with a cool head who can take advantage of the industry.
Some qualities seemed universal: perseverance, shrewdness and keeping cool during a crisis. Others are debatable: Some would say a journalist degree from a university is a necessity, while my grandad may disagree, the cleaner who became TVNZs go to guy and outperformed professional journalists, might disagree.
Either way, in its nearly 40-year history, TVNZ has produced some very good and very bad content. Each was great in it’s own way, in the circumstances of the times and in the qualities that New Zealand needed.
But greatness they earned when they dominated media awards.
One of my favourite poems by Dylan Thomas
“Do not go gentle into that good night.
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
Sleep well you misty hobbits.
‘National Correspondent’, wtf does that mean, ‘National (Party) Correspondent’, or is he going to report on NZ only affairs here, for another media outlet???
Who?
is he going to be returning to his previous role as a bit-player in dickensian-dramas – under the stage-name ‘squeeg’..?
Good riddance to bad reporting.
Get rid of Gower completely and I might entertain resuming use of Three, Newshub, Mediaworks etc as sources of information.
Until then, it’s still no thanks.
I will never forgive him