Author Archive

Higher stakes than most bloggers

I recently quoted George Orwell: Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations. Here’s another (fatal) aspect in which social media reporters, opinionistas, and publishers are catching up with their MSM colleagues — but not in a particularly edifying way. From Texas’s Knight Center for Journalism: For the […]

Discomfort and resistance about the ‘cup of tea’ deal …

Security footage of a burglary?

Authorities have released an image from security camera footage of one of the [alleged] perpetrators of an electoral ‘dirty-deal’ sealed in Auckland yesterday. Anyone with knowledge of the incident, carried out in front of about 40 journalists* and cameramen, should um … well, they should, er … gee … well, what can they do? * […]

Oh, wow. Enjoy

I like these optical illusions … it’s NOT moving. Even more here at www.ritsumei.ac.jp Thanks to Jeremy Parkinson. – P  

Being the medium

Sorry, I’ve been a bit busy to post. Over the weekend, on Saturday I covered the Mana Party campaign launch at Otara — an upbeat, good-humoured event which spouted talk of revolution and smashing/overthrowing the system. Invigorating rap songs and anthems bookended passionate speeches from this country’s radical literati — living treasures of the left-wing […]

Where to post

Priceless. The  question “Are you in a bar?” reminded me instantly of Cactus Kate. WIth thanks to Mathew Ingram. – P

Naff

I like Gin Wigmore. I already done said it. But that idea of using a picture of yourself with a red background on one side and blue one on the other? Well, that’s just naff. – P

Time for some more Leonard Cohen

Breathe in, breathe out … – P

Just the sort of endorsement a political journalist doesn’t need

Cameron Slater already knows I think he’s a blinkered, partisan, irrationally aggressive National Party mouthpiece/toady/apologist/rottweiler. He knows because I told him. I guess it’s possible he may also have a bad side?* But it intrigued me this morning to see Cameron’s (cough) selective re-tweets of a couple of political journos’ “reviews” of the Goff/Key press.co.nz […]

Winston Peters – comeback kid? Again?

I said this about Winston Peters in A voice in the wilderness? Or reclaiming the Grey Power mantle? in April: This man has come back from the dead before. (Just sayin’.) Don’t underestimate his political instincts and populism. Since then, Peters has continued to cause a ‘disturbance in the Force’ and ruffled a few feathers […]

Facebook’s scheme to deliver YOU to its clients

If you’re interested, read this article Big Brands Like Facebook, But They Don’t Like to Pay from the Wall St Journal about how Ford Motor Co. used a ‘free’ Facebook page (oh, and $95 million dollars in other advertising, 5% of that on Facebook) to launch a muppet called Doug to sell a new car […]

Is it OK for Don Brash to call a journo ‘a deceitful bastard’?

Is it OK for ACT leader Don Brash to call a journalist ‘a deceitful bastard‘ and refuse to be interviewed by him? Yes. Absolutely. Damn right it is. Is it smart? No. In an election campaign? Even less so.     Never mind.       This (below) is how I prefer to see Don […]

Peter Shirtcliffe’s campaign against MMP (MkII)

I watched Sandra Grey of the Keep MMP group pretty much wipe the floor with Dr Who’s faithful assistant Jordan Williams (right) in a brief discussion panel/debate about the MMP referendum compèred by Sean Plunket on TV3’s The Nation on the weekend. (video here) Poor Jordan ducked and dived, bobbed and weaved. He didn’t want […]

Watchdog issues warning about Sean Wood Property Tutors enterprise

UPDATE:  This situation has developed further. See Property Tutors’ Sean Wood is ‘not of good character’ – according to Authority & Judge 26 April 2012 — Remember this?: Calling all gullible gamblers! Here’s the latest badge of honour … And how it’s being reported … It’s also covered in the NZ Herald.  Something else to add […]

Getting a narrative going

Sometimes, especially in an election campaign, the political reporter’s role is to stand out of the way and let the protagonists slug it out. Really, all we need do in some circumstances is let them say what it is they’ve prepared, report it accurately, and let the public decide. Like most people, I’ve never seen […]