Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Essay Question

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  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Is your personal TV Station payment for your support of Operation 8 & the extended police powers?

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    Russell, I don't think you're the only person in New Zealand that actually reads the Herald's editorials but I'd guess the actual number is somewhere in the very low triple digits.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report

  • Ian MacKay,

    Todays editorial seems to be the most measured and most factual. Imagine getting off-side with the Herald! I guess each editorial may be written by a different person, hence the change of tone. (Like when the by-line was published in the Listener and you got to identify the tone depending on whether it was 2+2=7 of Joanne Black or the scathing negativity of Pamela Sterling. Now I can only guess.)
    I have no idea what Shep is saying. Secret code?

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report

  • Mark,

    Discuss in 500 words or less the poster's rationale for putting forward this question without mentioning his own pro-Labour bias. You have 30 minutes starting now. Eyes down please.

    Since Dec 2006 • 28 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    National's use of urgency is, as far as I can see, a way of establishing authority. Apart from the economic measures, the use of urgency is not justified, but they need to stamp their right to rule onto our foreheads. New CEOs always do this, it's part of their established playbook that there must be a sacrificial sacking early on, typically on a flimsy excuse. That shows the troops the new boss is not a soft touch. Anything really mean is not likely to happen right early on, like the massive round of redundancies that budgetary cuts are likely to entail.

    It's a way of setting the tone. To many people it will look firm and decisive, despite actually being meager and petty. So long as what is meager and petty is done decisively, it sends the important signals.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Yamis,

    Do you think it should be a permanently written beside his name there Mark?

    I'd say it's a bit like asking the Pope to declare his religious bias before making any statements concerning religion.

    In other words don't be so fucking stupid.

    Right, back to facebook texas hold'em where the freaks at the table I'm at are betting like maniacs.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic,

    To many people it will look firm and decisive, despite actually being meager and petty. So long as what is meager and petty is done decisively, it sends the important signals.

    So too were Thatcher's Poll Tax and the Rodney King beatings.

    Anyone hazard a guess as to the Granny Herald editorialists?

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    compare and contrast?

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Isabel Hitchings,

    Before I start reading can you clarify which National Standard my answer is going to be marked against?

    Christchurch • Since Jul 2007 • 719 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    so an emphasis on differences. It's a toughy Russell, hopefully will have time later in the day.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Tom Beard,

    New CEOs always do this, it's part of their established playbook that there must be a sacrificial sacking early on, typically on a flimsy excuse. That shows the troops the new boss is not a soft touch.

    Pour encourager les autres.

    without mentioning his own pro-Labour bias.

    I hardly think it's a state secret that Hard News (and PA in general) comes from a centre-left perspective. These are personal blogs, not publications with some pretence to a national (small "n") voice. In other, larger countries there are enough major dailies for each to come from a well-recognised and acknowledged political standpoint. Here, we're stuck with publications like the Herald, DomPost and (increasingly) the Listener that are Torygraphs in all but name, yet never state that explicitly. The preference is salted throughout their editorial, and disturbingly through their supposedly neutral reporting, in such a way that it is naturalised and presented as fact.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Eddie Clark,

    Mark:

    To echo Tom... Compare and contrast the following: A paper with pretensions of journalistic quality and neutrality, and a collection of personal blogs. False equivalence much?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 273 posts Report

  • Cecelia,

    Compare. One common factor emerges: rushing ain't good. We want the new gummint to be a good'un but it's alarming us a wee bit.
    Contrast. Bill Ralston's opinion pieces are so lightweight as to be totally unhelpful and lack any sort of wisdom, insight or even irony.
    (Can't be bothered giving examples!)

    Hibiscus Coast • Since Apr 2008 • 559 posts Report

  • Chris Diack,

    Shock. Horror.

    Quality journalistic insight (via a roman sandal wearing lecturer’s stage 1 pols essay question)

    A Newspaper has multiple positions on issues of public policy and political tactics.

    Stone the crows.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2008 • 9 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    Just to be unhelpful, but doesn't compare mean to examine (two or more objects, ideas, people, etc.) in order to note similarities and differences

    and doesn't contrast mean: to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences; note the opposite natures, purposes, etc

    isn't a contrast just half a comparison? and isn't half a comparison not a comparison at all? Isn't Russell just asking us to read?

    or

    could it be sequential? compare (the differences and similarities) and then contrast the comparisons to find further differences between the comparisons and the contrasts?

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    doesn't democracy just involve too much damn reading to stay afoot?

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Tom Beard,

    Oh and speaking of The Listener, was anyone else dumfounded by this week's cover, with headlines something like:

    How to take great holiday snaps
    (Plus! Dan Carter's favourite photos!)

    What next? "Ansel Adams' greatest place-kicking tips"? "You too can tackle like Marti Friedlander!"

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    replace involve with require
    replace afoot with abreast

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    mark, 'compare and contrast' has been a stock phrase in NZ education for ever. Russell was making a joke, acting like an English comprehension exam.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • David Ritchie,

    Oh and speaking of The Listener, was anyone else dumfounded by this week's cover

    Not just the cover, but the full page Nikon advert on the inside cover featuring Dan Carter (also seen displaying his Nikon shoulder-strap on the cover -- apparently he's a brand "ambassador").

    Can't imagine Nikon were too chuffed with the prominnent Fujifilm camera comp next to the "article" in question, though.

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report

  • James Green,

    How to ace an essay

    Interesting discussion on compare and contrast. As someone who is occasionally guilty of using this phrase while setting questions, yes the definitions are similar. I think that while compare can involve pointing out differences, contrast is really about going to where the nub of the difference is (the ONZED uses 'striking differences' in its definition)

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Is your personal TV Station payment for your support of Operation 8 & the extended police powers?

    Huh?

    Discuss in 500 words or less the poster's rationale for putting forward this question without mentioning his own pro-Labour bias. You have 30 minutes starting now. Eyes down please.

    Huh?

    A Newspaper has multiple positions on issues of public policy and political tactics.

    Stone the crows.

    It's more that the Herald was thundering away editorially about the proper practice of Parliament a week ago, but seems fidgety and diffident about criticising National's extraordinary use of urgency. The Herald's editorial voice is often like this -- it gets trappped in its own arguments. And yes, I know it is written by different people on different days, but it is presented as the voice of the paper and should demonstrate a reason degree of consistency.

    The HoS editorial is more crisply and directly written than the meandering efforts from the mothership. It makes it point clearly, with reference to both fact and principle.

    And the Ralston column is hackneyed, inconsistent, wrong on facts and one of the worst things he's ever written.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    The Herald's editorial voice is often like this -- it gets trappped in its own arguments.

    I'm told most of the editorials are written by Roughan.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report

  • James Liddell,

    Before I start reading can you clarify which National Standard my answer is going to be marked against?

    Numeracy, Level 2. The Minister's Office stuffed up and Gazetted the wrong standards.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2007 • 102 posts Report

  • David Ritchie,

    the Ralston column is hackneyed, inconsistent, wrong on facts

    No change there, then.

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report

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