The case for hate speech laws
Monday, July 5th, 2021Graeme Edgeler has a terrific post making the case for hate speech laws. He is at best ambivalent about hate speech laws, and says he will also be putting up a post making the case against them. This is where the debate should be. It’s dispiriting how far away from this the debate is.
NZME admits it misled listeners by buying into Trump’s ridiculous election fraud claims – but BSA somehow finds broadcasting standards not breached
Thursday, July 1st, 2021Something is going wrong here. On NewsTalk ZB’s overnight talkback show, host Bruce Russell endorsed Trump’s claim that there was electoral fraud in Georgia, playing clips from people who said things like “there was fraud in Georgia’s election, we can prove it with data”. Russell concluded: “I think it speaks for itself, receiving 75 percent […]
Hating on hate speech laws
Tuesday, June 29th, 2021What is it with the media and hate speech laws? They loathe them. And in their anxiousness to ridicule and discredit them, and excite contempt against them, they seem happy to distort the debate. Do hate speech laws need hate speech protection? Newshub’s recent coverage Look at Newshub’s coverage in the past 24 hours. They […]
When free speech creates disorder or hate
Monday, June 28th, 2021“De-platforming”. It’s the free-speech zealot’s issue-du-jour. I’m looking at you, Damien Grant. It seems so exactly what cancel culture is. Don’t like the speech? Ban it. Except it’s not really a ban, is it? There is nothing to stop those poor begagged individuals from putting out press releases and YouTube videos, railing on social media, […]
A quick response to Matthew Hooton
Thursday, May 30th, 2019I see Matthew Hooton has noted that I have acted for Nicky Hager and accused me of hypocrisy for suggesting that National broke the law with its budget leaks. He seems to think his logic is obvious. I guess it’s that Hager published confidential material leaked from the government (see especially: Other People’s Wars and […]
Budget leak: Nats’ behaviour “entirely appropriate”?
Wednesday, May 29th, 2019I’ve just been listening to Simon Bridges’ press conference at Parliament about the budget leak. His main point was to deny that the leaked budget material was a result of a hack. But he made the broader claim that the Nats’ behaviour throughout was “entirely appropriate”. He said there had been “nothing illegal or anything […]
Farewell Guyon
Tuesday, May 7th, 2019I’m sorry to see Guyon depart the presenter’s chair on RNZ’s Morning Report. I think he’s one of the best interviewers RNZ has ever had. He is well-informed, thoughtful and persistent. He consistently asks good questions and presses for answers. He is fearlessly independent. And I salute his use of te reo Maaori, which always […]
Whale Oil definitely Beef Hooked
Thursday, May 2nd, 2019Cameron Slater, aka Whale Oil, has never been a journalist in any sensible sense of the word. That’s despite the shameful Canon media award he received for wallowing in the sordid details of a mayoral affair. And it’s despite the High Court ruling that for the purposes of the Evidence Act, he could be treated […]
Censor right, but for the wrong reasons
Tuesday, April 30th, 2019You probably know that the censor has banned the Christchurch mosque shooter’s manifesto. That is, he has classified it as “objectionable” under our censorship laws. So it’s an offence to possess it, even on your computer screen. Journalists, academics, or anyone else who thinks they have a proper interest, can apply for an exemption. The […]
Hearing into Hit & Run book
Monday, November 19th, 2018The government inquiry set up to look at the allegations in Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson’s book “Hit & Run” is holding a public hearing this week. This particular hearing won’t go into the allegations themselves: it’s about the process for running the inquiry. How will it deal with confidential or classified information? (For example, […]
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