The NZ media’s farcical new critique of the opposition – why you should show it contempt
With Labour’s 100th Birthday and with National stumbling so badly, the mainstream media pundits are lining up a new narrative. The old narrative was ‘National are so successful because they are so moderate’. It’s called the Raymond Miller Fallacy. Wealthy mainstream media pundits who aren’t on the receiving end of National’s draconian welfare reforms bleat National are ‘moderate’ because their own existence is so comfortable.
With images of Kiwis living in cars, with stats showing inequality rising, with a housing crisis that’s ready to burst, that line that National are moderate is farcical.
So the mainstream media need a new narrative, and over the last few weeks they’ve been road testing that narrative.
The new narrative is ‘John Key will win the election because the Opposition are hopeless. Andrew Little doesn’t have the charisma and the Opposition get no cut through’. Blah. Blah. Blah.
What this new narrative that the mainstream media are trying to run with now misses, is that the mainstream media, instead of being a watch dog of the Fourth Estate, has been a neutered lap dog of this Government for 8 bloody years.
Shall we count the ways? Because the ability of the mainstream media to avoid their own bias and their own role in the enabling of John Key is utterly forgotten when they attack the Opposition for not being ready enough for Government.
- Remember how John Armstrong, the Political Editor of the NZ Herald called on David Cunliffe to resign over a $100 000 bottle of wine that never existed?
- Remember how Patrick Gower claimed David Cunliffe was starting a coup when David Cunliffe wasn’t starting a coup?
- Remember how every single main stream media outlet in NZ had deep, deep, deep, deep, deep ties with far right hate speech merchant Cameron Slater?
- Remember how every single mains stream media outlet enabled the kid of filthy dirty politics that Slater used?
- Remember how hard right fanatics like Mike Hosking and Paul Henry now dominate the entire broadcasting spectrum?
- Remember how Campbell Live was killed off for political reasons?
- Remember how Kim Dotcom was described by the NZ Herald as using ‘Nazi chants’?
- Remember the day MANA announced free education and guaranteed work for every NZer and the only thing the entire media focused on was Pam Corkery yelling at the media?
- Remember when the NZ Herald used Rachel Clucina who was pretending to be a PR person to smear Amanda Bailey in their article?
- Remember how Mike Hosking was allowed to slag Amanda Bailey off for being brave enough to stand up against the PM for touching her?
- Remember how the NZ Herald wrote more abusive editorials about Hone Harawira than any other politician?
- Remember how Patrick Gower went on and on and on and on and on and on about how the MANA-Internet Party deal was corrupt, yet ACT had used the exact same coat tailing tactic ever since MMP had been created?
- Remember how the Moment of Truth highlighted Key lying about mass surveillance but every media outlet ignored that?
What would happen if the media had done its job from day one and highlighted how the Government’s welfare reforms would lead to the clusterfuck of inequality we have now?
Nicky Hager did more journalism in one book than the entire bloody mainstream media have managed in 8 years!
The mainstream media’s 8 year love fest with Key is why his poll ratings are sky high. Ignoring their own biased role in keeping Key in power to then blame the Opposition for not looking ready is arrogance at its most deluded.
Sick society we now live in where MSM has the ability to control our lives and our thinking.
No balanced media or reporting is making us look like the old East Germany or the current regime in North Korea.
Another 4 years of Jong Il Key.
It always has we are just becoming more aware of it.
“Nicky Hager did more journalism in one book than the entire bloody mainstream media have managed in 8 years!”
So bloody correct what you say Martyn, this is a disgusting MSM and only a seldom sign is shown by some to flare up so infrequently to offer a balanced view and apparently being bruised and beaten back into line under SS Joyce’s iron grip control of his monster media controlled bunker called MBIE we call “Government Public Propaganda Services”.
National have MSM moulding us into “captured peoples” under The Government Agenda of being the gateway of “corporate controlled future”
This is National entire role.
NATIONAL;
National means for the people of the country, clearly this national Government has lost its’ way, CONSIDER;
“INTERNATIONAL”;
NATIONAL PARTY -is now truly just another “International Political Party.”
At least Mediawatch has diagnosed the problem
https://twitter.com/MediawatchNZ/status/751895116957097985
Here’s another “reporter” being useless at her job and sucking up to Key:
https://twitter.com/DawgBelly/status/751872795538132992
Bloody good Ropata.
I had heard some of it but you put it in a good picture thank you.
Martyn should do a show on this on 5th estate.
Now you’re talking !!
If the media had of done its job, and told the truth, John key and his National government would have been history long ago !!!
MSM covering all platforms have been on attack against Andrew Little in the lead up to Labour’s housing announcements.
What would have happened if they’d highlighted John Key’s lies?
Over 400 documented but not highlighted.
….. and did anyone else notice the difference in interviewing styles on “The Nation” this morning – i.e. between Lisa Owen’s interview with that gruesome trio, and her later interview with Andrew Little.
Count the interruptions.
One was a very sukky motor. the other like she was auditioning for Hardtalk.
She should at least choose a style and be consistent, regardless.
Yes, but those in the media have always done that. Soft pushover for Key, nats and their associates , repetitively rude, obnoxious, aggressive and insulting to the opposition, particularly when it comes to Labour.
‘Owned media’ like everywhere else in the world.
People are realising it… Let’s hope for change in our broadcasting along with our government.
Here here.
This is all of course correct.
It is the reason why every body who reads this article and is outraged, must regularly contact their MSM source when they see or hear falsehoods/bias or contradictions, and let them know people are unhappy with their reporting (always try to get as far up the chain as possible to make your complaint).
At the very least we have to over time, apply enough pressure on the producers of these news shows, to think twice before doing and showing what they now regularly do at present, without thinking at all.
I contact RNZ regularly and remind them of their important obligations to the public, they probably by now think I am some sort of loony tunes, but so be it.
I really don’t care what they think about me, because I and I am sure most readers of this blog, care only about having a fully informed public….then maybe just maybe progressive change could become reality.
There was also the bad-mouthing of Cunliffe when he took a few days off to spend with his family just prior to the 2008 campaign.
Works every time, so many people parroting the line about Corbyn..”he’s a good decent man, but he’s not a leader” with a patronising whiff, but when I ask what makes them say that…….nothing, just nothing comes back, because it’s utter bollocks.
Same with that old line about Key being “charismatic” ……what is it that makes him charismatic?, I ask, no answer, just blank looks, empty vacuous phrases, people sound like robots when they repeat these lines now
Remember how nobody save the Left gives a shit? We’re fucked, let’s at least wallow in it.
Human spirit is still alive to recapture a softer fairer honest Government and we must pursue it to the end else evil reigns.