Post by Rich80105On Sat, 10 Oct 2020 15:17:07 -0500, Tony <lizandtony at orcon dot net
Post by Tonyhttp://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2020/10/its-not-just-labour-party-that-collins.html
Some denigrate du Fresne and see him as a political animal, well he is
obviously not that. How we could do with more like him especially in Newshub
which is a Labour party shill.
Have you noticed the deliberate mispronounciation of Newshub by many of their
spokespeople (they miss out the 'h').
de Fresne obviously does have strong political views, but you have
misread his concerns. He has a number of legitimate points in is
article that you appear to miss - despite his lengthy and lucid
explanations of the reasons for his concerns. The media see as much as
possible in terms of binary competition - they like nothing more than
a "close race", or to identify conflict. Much easier than anaysis of
policies, of seeing the areas where there is general agreement, and
the reasons why at times there is not. Much of his column is correct,
but you misunderstand the shallowness of media reporting for your
bias. Tova O'Brien for example is following in the step sof previous
"reporters" like Paddy Gower and Duncan Garner (although both have
improved in recent times) in being obsessed with finding weaknesses
instead of strengths - her inherent unfairness in her almost rabid
pursuit of creating a story has irritated all parties.
Without going into a point by point analysis of the foregoing, I think most of it is pretty OK.
Easy to forget, though, that Newshub is first and foremost an entertainment channel claiming to “serve” a nation where the competitive thrust of a mindless recreational ethos dominates all else far too often, I think, and to the point of virtual total exclusion. There's nothing like the competitive thrust of politics for outfits like Newshub to make coarse sport of anything even faintly savouring of political conflict. And the more it's about individual personalities in conflict or in personal strife, the more it's turned into a blood sport, its audience being Newshub's unwitting spectators - dumb and dumber. This is at least partly why du Fresne is just one of so many journalists today finding themselves at the margins of what little remains of “real” journalism in New Zealand.
As a 100% commercial outfit, Newshub’s sole purpose and responsibility is to turn a profit for its shareholders while increasing company share value. Nothing else. Period. So, inevitably, come what may, editorial content, quality and balance must always kneel to the commercial imperative.
That said, if all it takes is some total nobody like drive-by smart-arse Tova O’Brien to threaten the foundations of this nation’s democracy, then the time has long since passed for every New Zealander to look right now in that mirror and do some very serious and long-overdue self-examination. Failing this, New Zealanders deserve no better than the blatant manner in which the cynical O’Brien and Newshub are patronising and insulting them, this regardless of du Fresne’s righteous and mostly unheard pleas to his minority following.
RNZ’s “Mediawatch” (a few minutes after 9.00am on Sundays) provides calm, considered, balanced commentary on the substance and behaviour of our broadcast media over the previous seven days. Deftly anchored by Colin Peacock, it takes a thoughtful and bracing approach to the media's handling of a range of issues in play. Always lively and engaging, this gem in what is otherwise an ocean of journalistic detritus is one of the very few voices of reason and good judgment speaking out against a degenerate, monetised wasteland that New Zealanders have so casually permitted to become their self-inflicted shame and disgrace.
Oh, and in case some might think the estimable Peacock is into biased journalism, his own employer-cum-paymaster gets equally rigorous treatment as both occasion and issue demand - no holds barred.