The personal touch
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011The US Supreme Court might have decided that corporations have speech rights, but it has just ruled that (in the context of freedom of information, anyway) they don’t have privacy rights. Under the US federal Freedom of Information Act, information can be withheld if its disclosure “could reasonably be expected to consistitute an unwarranted invasion […]
The Wikileaks Papers
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011Who said this, and when? It’s time to quit making national heroes of those who steal public secrets and publish them in the newspaper? When whole filing cabinets can be stolen there can’t be orderly government any more. He’s offering aid and comfort to the enemy, putting himself above the President, Congress and the whole […]
OIA-rony
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011The Independent Police Conduct Commissioner has criticised the police for releasing files relating to the charges against Tony Veitch that he didn’t plead guilty to. She found that the police should have kept their promise to contact Veitch before releasing the 358 documents. And, in fact, they shouldn’t have released the documents at all. The […]
Churnalism exposed
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011Take a look at this fascinating website that calculates and graphically displays the amount of UK journalism taken directly from press releases. Hat-tip: Inforrm.
QuakePorn
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011Yes, it’s helpful to the country to understand the gravity of the disaster in Christchurch. Yes, we should cut news crews some slack when they’ve got to edit on the hoof. Yes, most of the coverage I’ve seen on TVNZ and TV3 has been responsible. But I think the highlights packages of bleeding-head woman, bandage […]
Three cheers for the OIA and one for the government
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011I’m not sure whether the government’s document dump about the BMWs came as a result of an Official Information Act request. (If it wasn’t, then someone should put in an OIA request just in case the government has decided to hold anything back. That’s what the Labour government did in its Corngate document release). Either way, though, the […]
Cancerous Daily Mail
Monday, February 21st, 2011Listening to Morning Report’s story this morning about a Daily Mail story on cancer, I was reminded of this astonishing catalogue of things that the Daily Mail has reported on as causes and cures of cancer. And of this lovely piss-take on the Daily Mail by Dan and Dan.
SST sends blogger a defamation nastrygram
Friday, February 11th, 2011The Sunday Star-Times has sent a legal letter warning Brian Edwards about his post about its reporting on Amanda Hotchin. The SST quoted her saying: We don’t have to justify where we get our money from or what it is spent on to anyone. I don’t care what anyone says. Brian Edwards weighed in with a blog criticising Hotchin. But […]
Book your copies now
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011I’m working my way through the newly released 6th edition of Media Law in New Zealand by John Burrows and Ursula Cheer. (Actually, this updated version was mostly done by Ursula). It is as comprehensive as ever. If you’re wondering how much media law there has been in the last five years, we now have […]
Hot off the press
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011John Key’s remarks on RadioSport about Liz Hurley being hot have now hit the UK’s Daily Mail, I see. I’m more interested in why John Key is the only political leader given a weekly interview slot on RadioSport – and Breakfast TV, actually. This was the widely overlooked angle in the Paul Henry saga. I […]
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