Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Misconnection

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  • Idiot Savant,

    Well there was no authorisation statement on the biography under the EFA ...

    They didn't need one - the Herald is after all a newspaper.

    But yes, Key can't reprise Brash and have a made-for-election biography published without it being considered an election advertisement. Nice of his mates at APN (the same mates he had heavy a journalistat the Northern Advocate for daring to actually quote him verbatim) to help out.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    we were won over by the card on the DVD: "Best Godzilla movie EVAR!!

    Dude you got scammed!
    The best Godzilla ever is the original Japanese version (without Raymond Burr over the top). Although G v Hedorah (the Smog Monster) was always my number 2 choice. So I suppose it was still a good buy.

    The worst is, without a doubt, Godzilla vs King Kong.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    On the Godzilla tangent - finally watched Cloverfield yesterday and good lord, way to ruin a competent Godzilla-film with appalling written-by-a-US-high-school-film-class character backstories in the first half an hour.
    We very nearly didn't get to the monster tearing shit up stuff...

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    How can the Herald describe an fawning eight page (with more to come) hagiography of John Key as "unauthorised"

    I think MikeE alluded to this already bit I think if it were "authorised" it could make it an election advertisement and therefore be counted in the National Party's spending allowance. I could be wrong, God forbid, no doubt Grahame will give us the answer. It could, on the other hand, be a little joke on the part of the Herald because, as we all know, they are really clever.
    In other News, I've just been dealing with Woosh CS and it was a real pleasure, all sorted in no time flat. The wireless connection means no cut lines :-) Their speeds may not be the greatest but they are consistent @ about 1meg down 500k up. Good on the little battlers.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    I'm going to jump in the minority bandwagon here: while I thoroughly dislike the way Winston has handled this whole matter (he was positively tedious on Morning Report today), I don't think he's lied or knowingly misled anyone. I think the anonymous legal fund donations policy has come back to trip him up in a very bad way, and while he probably _should_ have thought about the legal fund, stupidity is not the same as wilful misdirection.

    But everyone seems to be having so much fun running with the "Winston has lost the moral high ground" line that I somehow think this point of view isn't going to get much of an airing. (And didn't he lose that somewhere back between the baubles and the EFA giveback-to-charity fiasco?)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Landline? Land ... line? What is this "landline" of which you speak?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    over the way a leaked email has Peters blown up by his own bomb. But, er, shouldn't that be "stolen" email? Just sayin'.

    Get a police investigation to conclude theft, and you might have a point here.

    National at the time suggested compueter hacking, which the police ruled out, but go and re-read their media release on the investigation. I was going to copy the bits where they mention theft, crimes or stealing, but I'd pretty much have to have copied the whole thing. So just one, an actual quote from the lead cop:

    "There are strong indications that the e-mails were in printed form at the time of the theft, but with the thefts perhaps happening at any time over the two- year period it is very likely that they were stolen during several incidents," Detective Inspector Quinn said.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Gary Kerkin,

    "The problem with the Herald piece is not that it was pretty soft, but that it was sold as an 'unauthorised biography' when it was clearly a team effort between the Herald and the National leaders comms staff.

    If you're going to publish a puff piece at least have the balls to admit it - don't try and pretend you're being a journalist when you're simply making your newspaper a medium for a political parties propaganda."

    Whether or not that is entirely true, it happens to be the reason that, after 20 years, I have cancelled my subscription to the Herald. My concern with "journalists" who endeavour to create a story and then "report it" is growing - I am afraid it might be parabolic. Of course, the Herald is not unique. Actually I thought I would save us a few dollars, but I cannot convince my wife to read RSS feeds. She has subscribed to another paper! But at least it is a bit cheaper than the Herald.

    Morrinsville • Since Jul 2008 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Round of applause for Audrey Young. Anyone who can make Winston writhe & squirm like salt on a slug (childhood creulty to bugs) has my respect.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I think the anonymous legal fund donations policy has come back to trip him up in a very bad way, and while he probably _should_ have thought about the legal fund, stupidity is not the same as wilful misdirection.

    Um, Lucy, to quote Peters himself what part of NO didn't he understand? :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Landline? Land ... line? What is this "landline" of which you speak?

    Oh, that's the rope that pirates use to tie their ships to the docks, right?

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • slarty,

    I walked away from Voda about 2 years ago on the basis they were, to use a technical term, bollocks. The only thing they have going for them is GSM - an average and dated technology (I had my first GSM phone in 1992 - can you remember what games console you were using '92?) but one with about 80% of global market share.

    So you get cool handsets. Voice quality is shit, but the gadgets work well.

    Voda is a business based on an effective monopoly, due to the godawful balls-up that was the spectrum auctions in NZ .

    Sound familiar? Seems to me that Voda are taking the place of the arrogant gorilla nowadays.

    Which means Paul Brislen = John Goulter <Chuckle>

    When I was a CIO it used to baffle Voda - they'd say "we have virtual routing and the cool handsets" and I'd say "pardon, I can't quite make you out on this line..."

    And yes, as I experienced at a site in Central Otago once, if you get your wires dug up you only want to be dealing with TNZ...

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report Reply

  • slarty,

    PS

    Oh, that's the rope that pirates use to tie their ships to the docks, right?

    Oh well done Sir. Mind if I use that?

    Since Nov 2006 • 290 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Oh well done Sir. Mind if I use that?

    Uh Oh! Is that the swishing sound of a bra full of rocks I hear behind you?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Dinah Dunavan,

    Winson is either not telling the complete truth or he didn't know his lawyer was getting paid by someone else. (I feel a Tui ad coming on.) Either way he looks like a big eejit and I'm not going to vote for him, ever again! (That would be a stronger threat if I'd ever been gullible enough to vote for him or his party before.)

    Dunedin • Since Jun 2008 • 186 posts Report Reply

  • Jen Ferguson,

    If someone from Vodafone is reading this, can they please tell me how on earth I can change my contact email address (I'm getting a bit sick of my former employers getting my phone bills, as are they of getting them) without:

    a) using the website (which refuses to update my new details, no matter how many times I enter and so-called save them);
    b) calling the customer helpline (which would only work if someone picked up the phone in less than 45 minutes);
    c) sending a shitty fax and letter (which would only work if someone read and/or responded to them)

    Anyone? Brislen?? ;)

    Peckham Rye, London • Since Jan 2007 • 26 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Get a police investigation to conclude theft, and you might have a point here.

    Graeme, I daresay the police, if invited, would conclude theft in many other cases where embarrassing documents have found their way to journalists -- including, quite probably, documents handled by Opposition MPs.

    The difference between "theft" and leakage seems very much in the eye of the beholder.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Suze Vermeer,

    I can tell you from experience that all features, apart from fluffy, lifestyle ones, that appear these days in our major dailies (though can't speak for the ODT), are prescriptive. The angle and tone will be given to the reporter before a word is written.

    A few years back, a planned feature about home invasion in one of our big metropolitans that was going to show how in fear we should all be at this mushrooming crime was pulled when the stats didn't back it up.

    I am fairly new to this blog but why is Craig Ranapia so angry?

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 29 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    __Oh, that's the rope that pirates use to tie their ships to the docks, right?__

    Oh well done Sir. Mind if I use that?

    It's all yours, madam.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    It's all yours, madam.

    Thud

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    I can tell you from experience that all features, apart from fluffy, lifestyle ones, that appear these days in our major dailies (though can't speak for the ODT), are prescriptive. The angle and tone will be given to the reporter before a word is written.

    That's not usually the case with political features. The tone and angle are largely up to the journalist.

    I don't think the Herald is crusading to get the National Party elected. I think they're pretty sure they're going to be elected and they're positioning themselves to enjoy a good working relationship with the DPMC comms office in the post-election environment.

    Although it will be interesting to see if any of the Herald journalists who've been so obliging for National end up working for Key after the election.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I am fairly new to this blog but why is Craig Ranapia so angry?

    Oh dear... since you asked, Suze, the only thing that get me angry any more is sheer stupidity. You don't get to moan that the Herald is a tabloid in all but format (which I do a lot), then get awfully upset when they don't do some Sun-sational demolition job on a politician you don't happen to like. If that's what you really want, I'm sure Ian Wishart is cooking up a hatchet job on Key and his secret gay life as we speak.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    A few years back, a planned feature about home invasion in one of our big metropolitans that was going to show how in fear we should all be at this mushrooming crime was pulled when the stats didn't back it up.

    Well, at least they didn't just run the story anyway. That happens.

    But you're right. I've been horrified at the extent to which certain editors tell writers what their conclusion will be before the writers actually get to determine the facts.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • davidamstalden,

    But there's no denying that APN's owners and senior editorial staff all desperately want National to win the election....

    'Unauthorised'. That just cracks me up.

    New Plymouth • Since Mar 2008 • 45 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    I am fairly new to this blog but why is Craig Ranapia so angry?

    In the olden days, if me or any of my friends found ourselves with a flatmate who liked Blindspott or Linkin Park, we'd tag team the flatmate over the course of a couple of days.
    "Why are they so angry?" "Why are they so angry?" and then we'd giggle to ourselves and feel morally superior.

    I suspect this loses something in the retelling, but maybe I just wanted to compare Craig to Linkin Park or perhaps Harry Potter in book 5 when he's all teen-angsty. And now I will step down because this probably a highly unnecessary personal attack I care nothing about except that I wanted to relate a story noone would care about. As you were.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

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