Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals

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  • James W,

    Fran O'Sullivan on Facebook:

    John sticks it to the former Alliance staffer Bryce Edwards whose Politics Daily is carried on the Herald website giving him reach to an influential audience he has yet to earn.

    Later, she uses the term "pinko" un-ironically.

    It's funny when you realise "journalists" like Armstrong or O'Sullivan view themselves as members of some exclusive club us plebs wouldn't understand so don't you dare criticise and god don't you know how HARD this job is? It's like, oohhhh, you're completely clueless, aren't you?

    Since Jul 2008 • 136 posts Report Reply

  • Tristan,

    id just like to add my thanks to Bryce Edwards for his round up. Its been awhile since uni and with a very busy 2 year old its actually pretty hard to keep in touch with politcs and I have found his round up very valuable shortcut to keep in touch with whats going on.

    Thanks Bryce!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Take the damn compliment, man! Because, on Twitter, it was refreshing seeing 'old media' hands say "Hey, we didn't report it because he didn't say it - and here's the audio" instead of "fuck you, hater parasite". And you did make the effort to correct and take full ownership of the error -- which I wish more media folks, both old and new, would do more often.

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

  • Tony Siu,

    Ben is right. NZ political Blog are so Boring

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 82 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Peter Calder,

    The idea that a political correspondent of John’s stature would say of Edwards “Ooooh, you’re naughty, I’m going to tell Mr Key on you” seems to me a little far-fetched even if your starting point is that Armstrong is on the payroll of the PM’s media team.

    Like I said, it seemed odd. But a column in which he described Edwards and his ilk as "parasites" and made an issue of Edwards having briefly worked for the Aliiance in Parliament more than a decade ago, it seemed a stretch to read it as a compliment.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    This whole thing has an element of the worm eating its own tail.

    If you make your living by making public commentary or even merely reporting the facts, then having that commentary subject to crticism would seem to be part of the job. Rather than railing against it Armstrong might have better spent his time learning from it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Fran O'Sullivan now having at go at Bryce Edwards in the Herald comments on his latest roundup. Quite the little public spat they've all got going on, isn't it...

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

  • Jdrinnan, in reply to Peter Calder,

    Hell hath no fury like the blogerrati scorned.

    Auckland • Since Sep 2012 • 9 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Tony Siu,

    Ben is right. NZ political Blog are so Boring

    Me? But I don't even think that! Dull, angry, male and repetitive is actually my bio.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Gareth Ward,

    Fran O’Sullivan now having at go at Bryce Edwards in the Herald comments on his latest roundup. Quite the little public spat they’ve all got going on, isn’t it…

    This is the Edwards column that has Fran and John so up in arms:. Excerpt:

    There was a lot build-up and reporting from the APEC meeting in Vladivostok, but nothing much actually seemed to happen. There are only so many ways you can work 'Pussy Riot' into a story about trade negotiations. The alternatives seem to be writing about: your hotel, waiting three hours to glimpse Putin, the buffet, bridges or interviewing your laptop about why nothing is happening. One common theme seemed to be how trade deals are being used by both the US and China to gain dominance over each other. Gordon Campbell, who has described most of the New Zealand media reporting of APEC as 'indistinguishable from a DPMC press handout', had probably the best analysis of the summit's real significance and how the Trans Pacific Partnership is where the real deals are being done - see: On APEC, and its significance for the TPP talks.

    Fran's snark today, the first comment under Edwards' column:

    Bryce says:: I would also like to say categorically that I was not accusing the press gallery reporters at APEC of being lazy (interviewing your typewriter/ keyboard/ laptop is often shorthand for this - but this is not what I meant).

    Bryce: Interviewing your typewriter - or laptop as you said last week - is shorthand for a journalist making things up.

    Being lazy is just one component of this. It was unfair and untrue.

    He clearly didn't accuse Armstrong or anyone else of making things up. He's alluding to the frustrations of covering these events. I think his column today more than makes up for any offence he may have caused. Some people need to get a grip.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood, in reply to Jdrinnan,

    Hell hath no fury like the blogerrati scorned.

    Honestly though: Out of Armstrong, Campbell and Edwards in this one - who reads as the angriest and most abusive?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Westerns, eh? The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, where the John Wayne character gives up the girl to the younger Jimmy Stewart, who represents the future?

    Tush, Ben. No one one would ever call you 'dull'!

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Jen, in reply to James W,

    Yes - journalists are just like everyone else, only better.

    Marlborough • Since Jan 2007 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Jen,

    Yes – journalists are just like everyone else, only better.

    We actually have super-powers. They make up for the crappy pay and poor future job prospects.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Anyway, I thought about replying to Fran’s comment on the the Herald site, but it’s just getting unpleasant now. And I think it's being poorly handled by their editors.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov,

    It's notable that this teacup typhoon coincides quite neatly with introduction of stuff nation. Outsourcing specialized assignments to amateurs, pro journalists under threat?

    "Become a writer, a photographer or video journalist and you could have your work featured on Stuff Nation."

    You can become a vital part of our team of journalists and help them find, analyse and tell the news by signing up to Fairfax Media's Open Newsroom Network. Tell us your area of expertise so our team of journalists can contact you when a story they're investigating is relevant to your speciality. From time to time, we'll open our assignment diaries and share with you via email what we're working on.

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

  • Jdrinnan,

    At the risk of branding myself a crawler - Good on the Herald - allowing criticism of one of its own writers - long may a robust debate continue. There is too much cross media ownership in New zealand for media to drift into camps. Bloggers could learn from the approach.

    Auckland • Since Sep 2012 • 9 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Anyway, I thought about replying to Fran’s comment on the the Herald site, but it’s just getting unpleasant now. And I think it's being poorly handled by their editors.

    The fact it's being played out within their own comments is laughable...

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

  • Tom Semmens,

    Anyway, I thought about replying to Fran’s comment on the the Herald site, but it’s just getting unpleasant now.

    What is Fran O’Sullivan so afraid of? She sounds like those shrill right wing idiots who campaign to keep al jazeera out of the U.S. lest it pollute the mainstream discourse with a contrary view.

    I’ve never met the woman, but her Facebook, twitter and other personal comments paint her as a most unpleasant right wing bully.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to mark taslov,

    If the generality of "reader interaction" in NZ newspapers is anything to go by, I'm not sure we really need another venue for ignorance, racism, bigotry and ignorant racist bigotry.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Jdrinnan, in reply to mark taslov,

    Are they being paid?

    Auckland • Since Sep 2012 • 9 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    Looks like a whole new ballpark Rich. Not in actual money Jdrinan. Check it out:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    and made an issue of Edwards having briefly worked for the Aliiance in Parliament more than a decade ago,

    Not only a cheap shot, but one that can come back on a boomerang. You don’t need a crystal ball to predict the reaction if anyone accused Armstrong of being a soft touch for his former colleague (now Prime Ministerial spin-doctor-in-chief) Kevin Taylor. He'd be heinously offended by the accusation, and rightly so.

    ETA: Before anyone points this out, yes… I’ve long expressed my strongly held opinion that the revolving door between newsrooms and political/corporate PR needs a padlock put on it sooner rather than later. (It would also be fair to say it’s one of many subjects Russell, Damian and I agree to disagree on.) My point is that this is not the glass house where JA really wants to be throwing a stone wrapped in Edwards’ c.v. around in. IMO and YMMV, of course.

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

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Fran O's columns have an inverse bell curve of quality - she either writes decent investigative stuff, or she writes complete bollocks, with not much in the middle ground.

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

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Jdrinnan,

    At the risk of branding myself a crawler – Good on the Herald – allowing criticism of one of its own writers – long may a robust debate continue.

    Fair enough. I still think it was completely out of order for Tim to go and hype it on the basis of one of his own writers being "put in his place". That's just shitty, as is Fran attacking Bryce Edwards on the Herald site.

    There is too much cross media ownership in New zealand for media to drift into camps.

    Pardon? Wasn't there some pretty obvious placing of people either inside or outside the tent in John Armstrong's column? Didn't he insult Edwards and Campbell's professionalism and slate them as "parasites"? Isn't Fran carrying that on as we speak?

    I honestly don't think Edwards said what Fran (and presumably John) thinks he said.

    Bloggers could learn from the approach.

    Ahem. Bloggers correct each others' homework every day of the week. The sensible ones don't get nasty about it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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