Cameron Diaz. Better for all sorts of reasons.
Here are some relevant excerpts of a High Court judgment* released today on the vexed question of “Can PR attack blogger Cameron Slater hide his clients’ names from someone suing him for defamation by claiming his extensive campaign of PR hits were ‘journalistic’ in nature and heck he is entitled to ‘source protection’?”
Basically, the judge has allowed Cameron Slater and his website to be regarded as ‘news media’ and a ‘journalist’ (Congratulations) but prevented him from claiming ‘source protection’ in the defamation case he’s facing.
Slater must comply with discovery in the normal way and answer interrogatories, because Judge Asher rulled it is in the interests of justice that his ‘sources’ be disclosed.
I don’t know if Justice Asher reads my blog (unlike Nicky Hager, who I know does) but see also [149](c) (and [138]) in the judgment which back up my comment in ‘Part of the news media? or a “PR blog” dedicated to “destroying” reputations?‘:
Whatever Cameron Slater says, my own observation of the campaign leads me to see it as the outworking of a vendetta — I don’t know whose. At question is: Was its motivation personal or was it ‘professional’?
It’s interesting how problematic Cameron Slater’s attempt to find refuge in ‘journalism’ is proving.
* Download the entire Court judgment here (PDF 330K).
– P
[…] High Court serves a mixed bag for PR attack blogger Cameron Slater – The Paepae […]
[…] I have just spent a interesting and happy hour reading the judgement of High Court Justice Asher. As the Paepae summarises it. […]
[…] a copy of the High Court’s judgment, thanks to Peter Aranyi at The Paepae (whose post ‘High Court serves a mixed bag for PR attack blogger Cameron Slater‘ is worth […]
I think that the Left have proved conclusively that Mr Slater is extremely mean to them. Indeed, it seems to me that on occasions, Mr Slater is also extremely mean to the so called Right as well.
Nonetheless, I can’t help thinking that at some point, complaining incessantly about Mr Slater’s meanness / unfairness could be perceived by the electorate as being whining? Perhaps this perceived whining might even become counter productive to the Left’s electoral chances?
Just a thought / theory!
*p*
You think Judge Asher is ‘left’?
You think an Auckland businessman (also ‘left’?) suing Slater for defamation based on a campaign of 40+ derogatory attack blog posts and the foulest of abuse and vitriol is ‘whining’?
Are you using ‘incessantly’ as a pejorative?
Just as we ‘incessantly’ highlighted the dubious marketing and other shonky practices of Phil Jones and his banal band of bully-boys and con artists on PropertyTalk?
Or are you bored with the wheels of justice grinding so slowly?
– P
Pleased to see you finally put Poormastery in his place on these sorts of issue Pete
We have quite enough Pontiffs and pontificating facing us for the next 3 years from the high and holy Pope Johannes Keyus (pontifex maximus) .. aided and abetted by his leftenant … Joycicus Effluvimus Major …
I think its the “droning” that accompanies the neo liberal apologists that annoys me most … the rhythmic chanting of soothing dogma and “i know best” undertones … much like an amplified version of Hare Krishna ….
Here’s an interesting ‘take’ on the Slater v Blomfield saga from a website that I always find interesting for its angle on things, whether it agrees with me or not at any specific time, Lauda Finem:
http://www.laudafinem.com/2014/09/14/nz-high-court-states-the-obvious-whale-oil-blogger-cameron-slater-is-a-journalist-but-theres-a-sting-in-the-tail
I detect a modicum of confusion where the Lauda Finem writer refers to my own POV of these matters (i.e. I haven’t expressed an opinion of Slater’s chances in an appeal of the Asher judgement) … but not enough to detract from the interesting (if a little gossipy) aspect.
An earlier post on the same blog appeared to show evidence of Cameron Slater being willing to privately disclose evidence of his sources to Blomfield in an effort to settle the defamation case: http://www.laudafinem.com/2014/09/04/whale-oil-blogger-cameron-slaters-bad-dream-climbs-into-bed-with-arch-nemesis-matthew-blomfield
For what it’s worth, that’s what I’ve seen in the future of this litigation for a while (settlement) based on my own, limited, experience of the stress and expense of civil litigation.
– P
[…] Peter Aranyi had a summarised highlighting of the judgement, that is worth reading. But having read some of the posts from Cameron Slater targeting Matthew Blomfield which were in my view clearly defamatory and quite blatantly malicious falsehoods that went far beyond the purported ‘evidence’ in the posts, I wasn’t surprised at that judgement. I was only surprised that Judge Asher thought that Cameron Slater was a journalist. My respect for journalism plummeted further. […]