Killing the messenger
Sunday, August 29th, 2010There’s much to ponder in James Hollings’ thoughtful opinion piece on suicide reporting in this week’s Sunday Star-Times. Why are NZ’s suicide statistics so high, though our reporting restrictions are so tight? How convincing is the social science research suggesting media reports can lead to copycat suicides? Is important reporting being headed off by the […]
Improving accuracy
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010A funny thing happened on the way to loosening the Accuracy standard in the Broadcasting Codes of Practice. It got tightened up instead. Let me explain. The old Radio code said broadcasters have to be truthful and accurate on points of fact. The TV code was the same. Broadcasters hated it. It meant that they […]
My star turn
Friday, July 16th, 2010The new TVNZ 7 show “The Court Report”, filmed at VUW law school, debuted yesterday. Criminal barrister Greg King hosts; I’m the roving reporter. Check it out here.
Illegal shepherding
Friday, July 9th, 2010Dear Sea Shepherd anti-whalers: I see that you were happy to lie to the public about banning Peter Bethune from future voyages – as part of your litigation strategy. I’m afraid I now assume that you’d be equally prepared to lie to the public as part of your PR strategy.
The case against Michael Reed
Friday, July 9th, 2010Michael Reed QC, Morning Report on Wednesday: The jury were completely convinced that David hadn’t done it. This betrays either a gob-smacking ignorance of fundamental principles of criminal law, or an intention to mislead the public about the significance of a not-guilty verdict. Fortunately, one of the Bain jurors seems to understand the law better […]
The case against the case against Robin Bain
Thursday, July 8th, 2010So, now that TVNZ has broadcast its special edition of Bryan Bruce’s The Investigator: The case against Robin Bain, compellingly arguing that Robin Bain couldn’t have committed the Bain family murders, can David Bain and his team do anything about it? They argue that it’s “unadulterated rubbish”, contains “mischievous misrepresentations of facts”, “perpetuates a fraud”, […]
Stormin’ Norman 2
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010Okay, I’ve watched the footage. I think there’s plainly an assault (probably several). They’re plainly minor. The Chinese security detail were plainly desperate to spare their guy from the indignity of having to look at the Tibetan flag. They try to stand in front of Norman, and one pushes an umbrella in front of his […]
Sunday paper lies to boost circulation!
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010Here’s the Sunday Star-Times headline from last week: Sex attack gets drunk driver off This is almost true. To be precisely accurate, however, it should have read: Sex attack doesn’t get drunk driver off The story is about a woman who was convicted of drunk-driving in the middle of the night after she said she […]
Stormin’ Norman
Monday, June 21st, 2010So police have investigated the incident in which Greens leader Russel Norman claimed to have been assaulted by members of the Chinese delegation who wrenched a Tibetan flag from his grasp on the grounds of Parliament… and concluded that there is “insufficient evidence to substantiate any assault charges at this time”. Police say the “available […]
Offensive language
Monday, June 21st, 2010“Of course we have freedom of speech in New Zealand, but that doesn’t mean we have to use that freedom of speech to cause offence to people, particularly to overseas visitors.” — Murray McCully, criticising Greens leader Russel Norman for his protest against Chinese human rights abuses in Tibet. “Freedom to speak only inoffensively isn’t worth […]
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