Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Madness in Mt Albert

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  • Rich of Observationz,

    Bloody clever of old Karl to pick it for the left way back in the day then?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Jake Pollock,

    National Party attack line

    I see your point, Tom, but I'm pretty sure that's a Green Party attack line.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • simon g,

    I think Shearer can have that one...

    And I think Shearer would tell the racist where to go. And I think you know that, Craig. Spare us the gratuitous party point-scoring.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Tom Semmens,

    Actually Jake you are right on that detail. The more I think about that article the more I feel sick at at the realisation at exactly how nasty, how clever, and how close the National Party PR machine and the Herald are.

    It is a real piece of black propaganda that may stand as a model of the genre. The clear intention of the article is to implant in the voters mind the idea that Melissa Lee is the brave, battling choice of the future for the ethnic minority in Mt. Albert in the face of racist, backward looking Labour voting Pakehas.

    Subtle, sinister and brilliant in manipulation mascarading as news.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Tom:

    I don't think you know Simon Collins, but I do. If he's a National Party hack, I've been a deep red mole all these years. Meanwhile, Tom, isn't it pretty vile that Lee has to get her nose rubbed in that kind of racist bullshit, even if she's an evil Tory?

    I see your point, Tom

    If you'd like to share, Jake, you'd have my gratitude.

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Spare us the gratuitous party point-scoring.

    Simon: Thanks for the David Brent-like irony deficiency.

    It is a real piece of black propaganda that may stand as a model of the genre. The clear intention of the article is to implant in the voters mind the idea that Melissa Lee is the brave, battling choice of the future for the ethnic minority in Mt. Albert in the face of racist, backward looking Labour voting Pakehas.

    Sorry, Tom, I've just had to forward this to Simon Collins. He could do with the laugh, I suspect.

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

  • Jake Pollock,

    Craig: I won't go so far as Tom, but the line 'despite a reputation as a grey United Nations bureaucrat' doesn't exactly scream objective reporting, does it? Who does he have this reputation with? Russel Norman? Is there anyone quoted in the story that expresses this opinion? If not, why is it there? It's there because, as Tom says, the reporter is parroting the attack lines of another party, not because anyone he talked to actually thinks this, as far as I can see.

    And yes, it's vile that Lee has her nose rubbed in that racist bullshit. As Sam said, that's going to cost David Baird business. But why do you assume that this kind of racism should be associated with the Labor party, when the guy voted NZ1st last year, and seems to think that because he's professional, he should vote National?

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic,

    I'm more of the impression that Collins is having to toe the editorial line. And I concur with Simon G that Shearer would be among the first to tell Baird to get lost.

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

  • Sam F,

    Perhaps it was as simple as this: Simon was out following routine campaigning with Melissa Lee, and it would have been a thoroughly average story were it not for David Baird's outrageous statements which were just too astonishing to be anything but the main angle.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I concur with Simon G that Shearer would be among the first to tell Baird to get lost.

    I'm confident he would, but since I didn't call Shearer a racist in the first place I wasn't really in the mood to state the fucking obvious. I was just saying that I didn't think that was a cold call Lee was going to be following up on any time soon...

    I'm more of the impression that Collins is having to toe the editorial line.

    So, I'm going to ask this again: Am I the only person here who's actually met Simon Collins? My impression (and a well-founded one) is that any insinuation that he'd slant a story towards any party is not only absurd but pretty distasteful.

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

  • Kumara Republic,

    So, I'm going to ask this again: Am I the only person here who's actually met Simon Collins? My impression (and a well-founded one) is that any insinuation that he'd slant a story towards any party is not only absurd but pretty distasteful.

    By his own will, or imposed from the top-floor office?

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

  • Kumara Republic,

    I'm confident he would, but since I didn't call Shearer a racist in the first place I wasn't really in the mood to state the fucking obvious. I was just saying that I didn't think that was a cold call Lee was going to be following up on any time soon...

    And you're right. Sadly, not everyone has the attention span to cotton on to that fact.

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

  • Russell Brown,

    Perhaps it was as simple as this: Simon was out following routine campaigning with Melissa Lee, and it would have been a thoroughly average story were it not for David Baird's outrageous statements which were just too astonishing to be anything but the main angle.

    Quite. No editorial conspiracy here, methinks, especially from a reporter like Simon Collins. But the "grey bureaucrat reputation" thing does show how an idea can propagate passively through the media. It's not actually saying he is a grey man, it's saying that, well, people say he's a grey man ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    the "grey bureaucrat reputation" thing does show how an idea can propagate passively through the media. It's not actually saying he is a grey man, it's saying that, well, people say he's a grey man

    Yes, it shows the power of getting in early with the framing - something at which Nact run rings around lefties at present, regardless of any bias in media buy-in.

    It would be better to see senior reporters use more accurate phrases like "who some claim is" as opposed to "who has a reputation as". It takes more than a week of spun whispering before you can sum up a candidate's entire reputation. And a professional like Simon must hate feeling like he has been used to spread someone's larger message.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Meanwhile, now that Salient has called off the lawyers (all a terrible mistake, I have been assured), it's okay to enjoy editor Jackson Wood's role in the by-election:

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Jackson James Wood Challenges Other Candidates

    Mt. Albert’s favourite second cousin and arguably front running candidate Jackson James Wood today challenged the other aspirants to a duel at dawn atop the mighty heights of Mount Albert itself

    “Too long have mainstream journalists ignored my presence in this race—in fact, the NZPA went so far as to deny I even existed. They have forced me to begrudgingly realise I must go beyond Wikipedia and Facebook to stamp my mark on New Zealand politics. As such, I will be atop Mount Albert at ten am—dawn Brisbane time—on the sixth of June, armed with a slingshot, ready to take all comers.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    He does realise there's an archery range up there?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Salient has called off the lawyers

    Oh good. I wonder why they used real lawyers.

    Could they not have got all the students taking Frivolous And Vexatious 215 to dash off a warning letter.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    He does realise there's an archery range up there?

    Time will Tell.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Stewart,

    If Will Tell is involved, it will be crossbows, shurely?

    Te Ika A Maui - Whakatane… • Since Oct 2008 • 577 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    Most likely. I'm drawing them a bit long this morning, obviously. Just couldn't resist the pun.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Stewart,

    The duel, if over a woman rather than politics, could involve cross beaus.

    (Does Albert get tired of being mounted?)

    Te Ika A Maui - Whakatane… • Since Oct 2008 • 577 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Does Albert get tired of being mounted?

    Oh come on. Some of us have limits and that's too low.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Stewart,

    Sorry, Kyle, what unwritten law have I gone & transgressed now?

    Was it the sheer 'groan-ability' or just the peurile smuttiness? Or something else?

    Te Ika A Maui - Whakatane… • Since Oct 2008 • 577 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    It's the fact you let him out of the can

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    You hit five on the groan scale.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

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