news

Categories under news

  • No categories

Stewart vs. Fox

Written By: - Date published: 3:02 pm, April 22nd, 2010 - 19 comments

When will conservative commentators stop picking fights with Jon Stewart? It never ends well for them.

50,000 Kiwis missed this

Written By: - Date published: 3:13 pm, April 8th, 2010 - 28 comments

According to Roy Morgan, the Herald lost 50,000 readers last year, an achievement only surpassed by the Sunday Star-Times, which shed 107,000 (17%!). After reading a piece that mickysavage alerted me to. I’m left wondering if there’s a link with the quality of journalism in the Herald and those 50,000 lost readers.

Nats’ homophobic dog-whistling continues

Written By: - Date published: 10:21 pm, April 6th, 2010 - 107 comments

3News viewers were left wondering if Duncan Garner is still pissed after the long weekend tonight. Using material that has clearly come from Jason Ede in Key’s office Murray McCully, Garner played the message-bearer for National’s continuing attacks on Labour’s gay MPs. It makes me heave that Garner, one of the best journos in the country, should lower himself to become part of this dirty, homophobic campaign.

Rosemary McLeod on Barbarians

Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, February 28th, 2010 - 23 comments

One of the best pieces I’ve seen about the idiotic minister of broadcasting Jonathon Coleman wanting to starve or bend National Radio into the level of stupidity that the NACT’s prefer. Rosemary McLeod writing “Quality radio easy target for the barbarians” in the Sunday Star Times this morning.

On the news value of questioning Ministers’ shares

Written By: - Date published: 2:58 pm, February 24th, 2010 - 39 comments

A certain National Party pollster is having a cry over the story I ran yesterday on Murray McCully’s shares in Widespread Portfolios.

The story got widespread media coverage because it raised legitimate questions that needed to be answered.

Systemic failure of the media

Written By: - Date published: 1:52 pm, December 2nd, 2009 - 32 comments

felix in comments points out in his usual sarcastic style about the media response on Don Brash’s 2025 Taskforce report. For example, consider this online poll (tvnz): What do you think of Don Brash’s 2025 Taskforce financial report? It’s too radical It’s about right It doesn’t go far enough All the questions imply some degree […]

Bomber’s War on News

Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, November 4th, 2009 - 9 comments

If you didn’t take my last hint to keep watching this, here’s your chance to catch up. I think it’s genuinely good. It’s like TV, only true.

Bomber’s War on News

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, September 29th, 2009 - 5 comments

If you haven’t been able to see it yet or can’t get Triangle/Stratos, here’s a link to recent episodes of Bomber Bradbury’s War on News. It’s entertaining, accurate and educational all at once. Kind of like PBS only a bit more ‘informal’. It’s also pretty funny in parts and Bomber comes across as genuine and […]

Stopping family violence: must do better

Written By: - Date published: 2:24 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 21 comments

Shocking to see these figures: Almost a third of Kiwi women and one in five men will experience violence and abuse at the hands of their partners. The statistics are in a report made public today that will guide a crackdown on family violence. We need to get better at dealing with these issues. It’s […]

Unemployment hits 6%

Written By: - Date published: 11:12 am, August 6th, 2009 - 22 comments

Stats NZ has just released the unemployment figures for the June Quarter. Unemployment has hit 6%. That’s 138,000 people out of work. We’re going to need more than a cycleway to get ourselves out of this one.

Cullen to chair NZ Post and Kiwibank

Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, April 7th, 2009 - 10 comments

Trans-Tasman reports: the Government will offer former Deputy PM and Finance Minister Michael Cullen the post of Chairman of the Board of NZ Post and its subsidiary Kiwibank, succeeding Jim Bolger who is due to retire this month. Cullen is announcing his retirement from Parliament today. Good on him. UPDATE: Stuff reports Cullen will be […]

Open justice

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, March 6th, 2009 - 19 comments

David Bain’s retrial begins in Christchurch today. Yesterday the Judge held that certain web-based newspapers may screen delayed video coverage of the trial, but he declined TV3’s application to live-stream it. The present guidelines for court coverage, which date from 2003, are simply silent on the internet medium, and the Judge said that since the […]

“NZ Herald Staff” dribble

Written By: - Date published: 3:41 pm, November 20th, 2008 - 26 comments

Bomber over at Tumeke has pointed out a stupid news story about the blogosphere from the Granny Herald. It either shows a selective bias, or someone reporting on something that they don’t understand at more than a superficial level. From the Herald staff… The Blogosphere has made much of the “popular Westie” Paula Bennett’s new […]

News coverage of English revelations

Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, August 5th, 2008 - 9 comments

Here’s the segment on the English meltdown from TV One last night. [I wanted to put up TV3’s as well – it’s good coverage, including interviews with KiwiBank customers – but I just can’t seem to deal with their flaky video stream (anyone else have problems with it?)]

TV3 promoting a National/NZF government?

Written By: - Date published: 2:23 pm, August 1st, 2008 - 12 comments

It seems TV3 has decided to promote a marriage between John Key and Winston Peters this week.   They appear to be paying for ads on Google that come up when you search for “John Key” or for “Winston Peters“, but not for other leaders like Helen Clark or Jeanette Fitzsimons. What’s more, when you […]

It’s not ok

Written By: - Date published: 12:13 pm, July 9th, 2008 - 56 comments

Is it a sign of a successful campaign regarding family violence – that “it’s not ok” – which sees broadcaster Tony Veitch taking time away from his television and radio shows in the wake of revelations that he allegedly assaulted his former partner? It certainly seems to have generated quite a bit of discussion amongst […]

Kiwi Scott Dixon wins Indy 500

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 pm, May 26th, 2008 - 5 comments

Astronomical world dairy prices are to see the traditional champagne replaced with milk on motor race winners’ podiums around the globe next year. What started as a tradition in the Indy 500 back in 1936 will next year be extended to Formula One, the World Rally Champs and NASCAR. Super-heated liquid cheese was trialed briefly […]

Our condolences

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, April 16th, 2008 - Comments Off on Our condolences

Our condolences to all those affected by the Mangatepopo Gorge canyoning tragedy.

National’s nanny state

Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, March 27th, 2008 - 73 comments

Seems to me we need some consensus on what a “Nanny State” actually is. Today the Nats have come out in opposition of some scholarships awarded for doctoral research by the Tertiary Education Commission – stuff like “children’s colour use and emotional wellbeing when drawing” being researched by Emily Crawford at Otago University. What could […]

National still evasive over KiwiSaver plans

Written By: - Date published: 9:43 am, March 19th, 2008 - 17 comments

You do have to wonder sometimes what it takes to get a straight answer out of a National party MP. Having recently given Brian Connell a bollocking for being evasive on camera, Bill English has now pulled out a performance of his own. He was far more polite of course, and at no stage made […]

Dream of sliding to work?

Written By: - Date published: 5:17 pm, March 14th, 2008 - 4 comments

Google have just opened a new European engineering headquarters in Switzerland, according to a report from the BBC: “Dotcom companies were defined by beanbags and pizza but Google, a company that came to prominence after the bubble had burst, has taken that image to a whole new level. Meeting ‘pods’ in the style of Swiss […]

Bursting the bauble

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, February 20th, 2008 - 39 comments

While the David Farrars and Fran O’Sullivans of this world have been trying to create a storm over Owen Glenn’s recent comments, real journalists have seen it for the non-story it is. Owen Glenn gave some money to Labour, he did so openly, unlike National’s secret backers who gave them $2 million in 2005 alone. […]

Good news

Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, February 16th, 2008 - 16 comments

Stuff reports the stolen military medals have been returned. I had expected they would never be seen again but when I think about it nearly every high-profile theft of art or artifact I can remember has resulted a successful return. Kudos to the police for making sure we get to keep a part of our […]

Good luck Winnie

Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, February 5th, 2008 - 13 comments

Our thoughts and best wishes go out to MP Luamanuvao Winnie Laban who has just revealed that she has breast cancer. The cancer was apparently discovered early by a routine mamogram and three cycles into the chemo she’s in good spirits. The cancer is apparently treatable – she says she’s positive about things and has […]

Jacinda Ardern to lead IUSY

Written By: - Date published: 1:59 pm, January 31st, 2008 - 71 comments

Jacinda Ardern, former Young Labour president and political advisor, has just been elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth – a group encompassing socialist, social democratic and Labour Party youth organisations from more than 100 countries. IUSY is a massive organisiation and holds consultative status with the United Nations. This is a huge […]

Biofuel stars at Taupo (and we win)

Written By: - Date published: 1:43 pm, January 22nd, 2008 - 10 comments

Congratultions to Jonny Reid for his win in the Taupo A1GP sprint race on Sunday. He also managed to finish fourth in the feature race which gives the NZ team the series lead. What was also a world first is that all of the teams competing took to the track with 30% biofuel in their […]

Bye bye Ed, you beauty

Written By: - Date published: 9:14 pm, January 11th, 2008 - 2 comments

I won’t try and add anything much to the many, many words of tribute on this, the sad death of Sir Ed Hillary except to quote what Jack Nicholson says to Helen Hunt in As Good As It Gets: “You make me want to be a better man.” Thanks mate, you made the world a […]

McCready facing 51 fraud charges

Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, December 20th, 2007 - 4 comments

Yesterday NZPA reported that Graham McCready – the man who brought a private prosecution against Mallard over his fight with Tau Heare – was himself in court. He’s facing 51 fraud charges from the IRD.

Terrorism charges blocked

Written By: - Date published: 4:12 pm, November 8th, 2007 - 17 comments

The Solicitor general has decided against allowing prosecutions under the Terrorism Suppression Act for all 12 people referred to him by the police and is making an announcement in Wellington now to that effect. According to Newsroom: He says the key reason he is not prepared to authorise prosecutions is that there is insufficient evidence […]

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.