quickymart:

 

What media is "paid off by the government"?

 

The over $50-million they were bribed during 2020 - 2022.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300932677/public-interest-journalism-fund-closes

If you mean this, it was to assist with local journalism during the pandemic.

It definitely wasn't a "bribe" - I saw a tonne of stories quite critical of the government (and Jacinda Ardern) during the time this fund was running, and as someone who works in the media from time to time I'm speaking from personal experience.

quickymart:

 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300932677/public-interest-journalism-fund-closes

 

If you mean this, it was to assist with local journalism during the pandemic.

 

Of course they will say that.

Prior to that time I had never seen their industry so intent on looking after themselves and gas lighting us black is white, up is down, and nothing to see here move along.

And now their industry is in the doldrums and at record low public trust.

Its just unfortunate a couple of the new alt-media outlets are not exactly great either.

Whatever, I can see what viewpoint you're taking, and as someone who knows the industry and has a reasonable amount of experience in it, I respectfully disagree.

The great thing here is whether we agree or disagree is irrelevant.

The numbers speak for themselves:

Trust in news stabilises after sharp decline over five years

Wow, what a spin. Its fallen off a cliff but lets celebrate the cliff wasn't even higher.

Thankfully I live in a rural area and can go outside and gaze up at the stars and planets and realise the news cycle means nothing to the universe. I go hiking in the Ruahines and the world could end and I wouldn't know. But it hasn't yet. I come back and there is some new BS going somewhere else but Mother Nature doesn't know or care. And the world is still revolving around the sun and people do what they do.

Cool story bro

I don't think it's a conspiracy theory that most "mainstream" media if fairly left leaning, it's patently obvious. Whether there is any bribery or other nefarious shenanigans behind that I wouldn't want to speculate.

But the problem with much of the alternative media is that it's almost always an overcorrection and leans too far right. I've seen a few of Plunket's things, and they are often full of what have to be deliberate misrepresentations or omissions.

Duncan Garner seems to have gone fairly right these days, but at least with him I don't feel like he's intentionally misrepresenting facts. He certainly has his own strong biases though.

Paul1977:

 

I don't think it's a conspiracy theory that most "mainstream" media if fairly left leaning, it's patently obvious. Whether there is any bribery or other nefarious shenanigans behind that I wouldn't want to speculate.

 

They probably are and therefore on some left-leaning issues I would agree with them. 

The biggest problem here is they had a massive blind spot 2020 - 2022 and allowed an obviously authoritarian inclined government free reign. 

This not only hurt our social justice causes it also gave rise to a counter movement aligned with conspiracy theories and the religious right.

Up until 2020 they were largely naturally loosing ground and I think a bit of patience was the only thing needed.

The left not only showed incredible hypocrisy about "my body, my choice" it allowed the far right the opportunity to platform a legitimate and widespread grievance around the mandates and handling of c19.

MichaelNZ:

 

They probably are and therefore on some left-leaning issues I would agree with them. 

 

The biggest problem here is they had a massive blind spot 2020 - 2022 and allowed an obviously authoritarian inclined government free reign. 

 

This not only hurt our social justice causes it also gave rise to a counter movement aligned with conspiracy theories and the religious right.

 

Up until 2020 they were largely naturally loosing ground and I think a bit of patience was the only thing needed.

 

The left not only showed incredible hypocrisy about "my body, my choice" it allowed the far right the opportunity to platform a legitimate and widespread grievance around the mandates and handling of c19.

 

I don't tend to attribute malice to things that can just as easily be explained by incompetence (or fearful shortsightedness).

It's easy to "Monday-morning quarterback" and see motives that weren't necessarily there at the time. In retrospect I think many of the COVID measure were overreaches, and there were far too many speculations and assumptions portrayed as facts (both from the Government in and the media). This has certainly greatly contributed to increased distrust of the mainstream media, but it's not obvious to me that this was all intentional or malicious.

Ultimately, we need to view "news" from a variety of sources; knowing that each has its own biases, and that it's very likely none are the complete truth.

MichaelNZ: hypocrisy about "my body, my choice"

gzt:

MichaelNZ: hypocrisy about "my body, my choice"

Your shortened form implies perhaps unintentionally that vaccination was compulsory in NZ. I'm sure you're aware that was not the case.

Some are trying desperately to rewrite history now as you so well articulate.

At the time I warned people "If it goes bad for you few will care because the two largest groups will be those who took it seemingly without effect, and those who didn't".

This left a really bad situation for the vax injured because the medical establishment can't admit anything without showing themselves liable.

After the fact the mainstream media also ran a bunch of stories to try and pretend they weren't paid off by the government to push propaganda and that the "PIJF" was something other then it plainly was.

MichaelNZ:

 

...the vax injured...

How many people did that happen to though? Serious question. Are you talking millions? As an aside, I haven't met anyone in real life who was "vax injured". Plenty of self-declared online "experts" though.

MichaelNZ:

 

This left a really bad situation for the vax injured because the medical establishment can't admit anything without showing themselves liable.

 

After the fact the mainstream media also ran a bunch of stories to try and pretend they weren't paid off by the government to push propaganda and that the "PIJF" was something other then it plainly was.

 

I would be interested to see some reliable figures on the 'vax injured'. I don't doubt there were some, because vaccination is not without risk. But I suspect this issue may have been greatly overblown to serve a particular agenda. Some accuse establishment media of bias, but that is nothing compared to what gets served up by the extreme right.

quickymart:

 

How many people did that happen to though? 

 

We will never know the full extent because blot clots, cancer and heart attacks have deniability.

quickymart:

 

Plenty of self-declared online "experts" though.

 

The affected people are those who did what the government coerced them to. Its them who the denialists are having a go at.

Rikkitic:

 

Some accuse establishment media of bias, but that is nothing compared to what gets served up by the extreme right.

 

Flat earth, Free Masons and anti-gay rhetoric I agree is ridiculous.

Whereas the mandates and government funded propaganda actually happened.