newspapers

Categories under newspapers

  • No categories

Airbrushing the VRWC

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, September 7th, 2014 - 111 comments

In today’s Sunday Star Times, is an article on a Matthew Hooton & the VRWC (Vast Right Wing Conspiracy). Hooton criticises John Key, does a couple of mea culpas, but ultimately, airbrushes the whole disgusting mess of dirty politics. [Updated: comment from Bill]

Two weeks to go …

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, September 6th, 2014 - 139 comments

Two weeks to go and polls suggest that National’s slide in the poll may be arrested.  But for how long?

Spinning the media: commericial imperatives

Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, September 2nd, 2014 - 24 comments

The main problems with dirty media-blogger connections, as exposed by Dirty Politics lie with the commercial dominance of our news media. Mediawatch focuses on issues raised by the book. Online Standards Authority is not the answer.

Well that deteriorated quickly

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, August 31st, 2014 - 170 comments

The Sunday Star Times has reported on the Hotchin – Slater attack on SFO boss Adam Feeley.  The email which caused John Key to effectively sack Judith Collins as a Minister was provided by Cathy Odgers.  The intent was to put off a SFO/FMA investigation into Hotchin.  This is third world stuff.

Wakeup call for the media – has Slater done us all a favour?

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, August 31st, 2014 - 171 comments

National’s dirty politics, for all its corrosive damage, also marks an opportunity for NZ. An opportunity to take stock, recognise such tactics for what they are, and reject them. An opportunity to clean up both politics and the media’s coverage of it.

‘Malevolent males’, ‘Mistress Collins’ & a ‘free press’

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, August 29th, 2014 - 7 comments

Dirty Politics shows the need for a reformation of our media, broadcasting and related online content. It’s about democracy.   Lucy lawless agrees. Laila Harre and Colin Craig have been added to the line up for Sunday’s Broadcasting Debate in Auckland.

Greens, Labour, NZH Hot Seat: coalitions

Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, August 22nd, 2014 - 13 comments

In the NZ Herald panel interviews, Green & Labour Party leaders come across extremely well.  The leaders are confident, considered and ready to govern.

The Labour Campaign Launch

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, August 10th, 2014 - 40 comments

Labour’s campaign launch is today and it is expected that major health initiatives will be announced.

Armstrong’s gotchas

Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, July 28th, 2014 - 19 comments

It’s only “gotcha” politics when the left wing does it.

Repost: Not the war on men you’re looking for

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, July 10th, 2014 - 224 comments

It’s headline news again: Labour is trying to take away men’s rights and exile you all to a desert island. If you believe David Farrar, that is.

Polity: Today’s Herald editorial

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, July 2nd, 2014 - 33 comments

The NZ Herald has been particularly stupid recently, especially in its editorials. Now some of the anonymous editorial writers appear to have descended to not even reading their own paper. Today whoever wrote the editorial are suggesting that Labour release a particular policy, one that their political gallery writers wrote about on Wednesday. I guess that ‘anonymous’ couldn’t stand to read their own paper when it refers to Labour? Now that is really being biased.

The people respond to the Herald Editorial on Donghua Liu

Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, June 27th, 2014 - 66 comments

Further to lprent’s post this morning there is an avalanche of responses on the Herald website to its Donghua Liu editorial. People are obviously furious and the anger is palpable. And there is a trade me sale of John Key’s book with a very funny series of questions and answers

Dear John Armstrong

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, June 26th, 2014 - 82 comments

A dear John letter to Herald Columnist John Armstrong.

Key and Herald embarrassed as Liu statement changes

Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, June 25th, 2014 - 113 comments

The Herald has now published details of a further statement from Donghua Liu which directly contradicts previous claims.  So what did it do to ensure the accuracy of the original claims and why did it print those allegations without verification?  And who is the mysterious person who prepared a statement that with the benefit of hindsight was clearly inaccurate?

The anatomy of a smear campaign

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, June 20th, 2014 - 322 comments

David Cunliffe does not recall signing a letter 11 years ago which did not advocate for Donghua Liu’s application for residence yet gets pilloried by the media for stating that he did not advocate for Mr Liu.  Michael Woodhouse denies telling John Key about the letter, then says officials from his office briefed Mr Key’s office on the letters and then his office admits that he told Key’s office about the letter yet there is no media criticism of what clearly is an attempt to hide a smear campaign.  Is this yet more evidence of media bias?

Herald loses perspective

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, June 18th, 2014 - 74 comments

So apparently forgetting about signing a form letter for a constituent 11 years ago is a resignable offence now.

Update: Key memory lapses

Through the looking glass

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, June 8th, 2014 - 93 comments

Banks look very likely to be gone by Monday. But, some journalists are going to bat for John Banks, claiming he hasn’t really done anything wrong with respect to the verdict of guilty for filing a false election funding return.  They are ignoring the facts of the case, and trying to rewrite history. [Update: Banks to resign]

The week that was

Written By: - Date published: 2:29 pm, April 18th, 2014 - 37 comments

The highs and lows and the good and bad of what was a fascinating week in Politics.

Coalition for Better Broadcasting launch

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, April 14th, 2014 - 29 comments

The Coailiton for Better Broadcasting and website has launched today.  From the information on the website, it is looking like a very promising initiative to me.

Outing Nats’ smear machine

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 29th, 2014 - 275 comments

Standardista, andy (the other one) nails it: “Two days, two articles, two different media outlets admitting that they know National use Slater/Farrar to smear and dissemble.”  Trotter raises questions about sources.

Op Ed: Press want to control political blogs?

Written By: - Date published: 3:02 pm, March 26th, 2014 - 41 comments

John Drinnan has written on the upcoming opening of Press Council membership to bloggers.  He offers some positives.  But I don’t see anything much in it for political bloggers.  It would mean being dominated by a flawed Mainstream Media – the very thing many blogs aim to critique independently.

NZ Herald: Key cracks joke

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, March 24th, 2014 - 18 comments

Yes, this is an actual number 3 story (and top politics story) on the NZ Herald.

There is something wrong with the latest Herald Digipoll

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 21st, 2014 - 99 comments

The latest Herald Digipoll has caused many commentators to claim that Labour’s support is declining.  But there is something strange with the figures, particularly those about Len Brown’s previous and current support.

Voices and Power

Written By: - Date published: 1:41 pm, February 28th, 2014 - 15 comments

When did the left leave the left? Or, perhaps more accurately, why do we continue to regard liberals as being of the left?

Militarism and the NZ Left?

Written By: - Date published: 12:28 pm, February 28th, 2014 - 31 comments

Two uncritical articles in Auckland’s local press, raise questions about the role of the NZ military, and the educational and cultural impact of a military charter school.  Unstated and unquestioned, is the nature of NZ’s relationship with that of militaristic US imperialism.

John Key, Blogsters and the Dotcom leaks

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, February 15th, 2014 - 170 comments

This week has seen how sophisticated the publicity campaign against Kim Dotcom has been.  The surprising detail that a Herald Socialite columnist has published with political implications potentially represents a new tactic by National.  And the confirmation that Key is regularly in contact with Cameron Slater shows how deep the relationship is between National and the Sewer is.  And there was the use of, as Key calls them, blogsters to smear opposition MPs with hints of corruption.  This is going to be an interesting year …

NZ Herald watch – history repeats

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, February 7th, 2014 - 146 comments

The NZ Herald has a long history of opposing Maori resistance and supporting colonisation. It has always been right wing with a strong commercial focus & MO.  Yesterday it censored news of Waitangi Day protests.  Today an editorial spins in slippery style, for the Govt’s failing PowerCo sales.

Media bias

Written By: - Date published: 10:41 am, January 31st, 2014 - 168 comments

Media bias has been a topic of discussion this week and such simple things as the choice of photos can be evidence of this.  The Herald has been publishing very unflattering photos of David Cunliffe.  You would think that with all of their resources they would have slightly more natural photos than the ones they are running …

Wally of the Year

Written By: - Date published: 7:37 am, December 22nd, 2013 - 12 comments

The Fairfax Political Team has released their annual list of prizes for some of the most and least deserving efforts in politics this year.  There was intense competition for Wally of the Year and somehow they did not think that John Banks deserved this award.  But I am not so sure …

NZ Herald: Disgrace to democracy

Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, December 18th, 2013 - 246 comments

The  right wing NZ Herald editors, have misused their position in the news mediascape to  produce some shameless, highly partisan and manipulative propaganda. They do not have the interest of all Aucklanders at heart. More considered analysis needed. Let’s wait for tomorrow’s public meeting.

Census 2013: glossing over the divides

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, December 3rd, 2013 - 18 comments

The 2013 census data is being revealed.  The initial information is presented in Stats NZ’s package, with some curious slants/biases: e.g. on income, occupations and housing.  What else do the stats reveal? [Update: Stats NZ on income]

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