I’ve never been successfully sued for defamation, I’ve won a few awards and in hundreds of thousands of hours on air, I’ve only had one BSA ruling against me. Now I’d like to think that might make me an expert in NZ media and give me a perspective about its current state.
But I’m not. I’m told by mainstream media and those a little younger than me that I’m pale stale and male, a coloniser, a rapist, a misogynist and, of course, a TERF.
I don’t take any of that too seriously, but it does seem to be indicative of the mindset of legacy media in this country, they seem almost universally interested in telling you what to think and what your opinions should be rather than informing you so you can make up your own minds. And really, they aren’t at all interested in what you do think, they turn off their comments section and declare they will not debate issues like climate change, co-governance, the Treaty, transgenderism and, of course, free speech.
The ironically (or perhaps appropriately) named Disinformation Project trot out dubious studies claiming cataclysmic levels of racism, violence and discord in our society and then demands we restrict our democratic freedoms and abandon free speech to correct our misdeeds.
It is, of course, all rubbish but it creates a climate of fear where rational open debate is abandoned in favour of a craven conformity with identity politics and the agenda of cry-bully extremists who claim they will be injured if anyone dares to disagree with them.
This problem isn’t confined to the editorial staff of our major media outlets, all of whom, in one way or another, have been compromised by taking government funds with strings very definitely attached. The same attitude is prevalent in major New Zealand businesses who provide money for the advertising that funds the media and the ad agencies that create and place those ads.
The end result is that we are fast losing faith in our fourth estate, increasing numbers of New Zealanders do not trust mainstream news media, who gaslight them and portray this country as a place so at odds with their real lived experience.
We are not a nation divided by race, we do not in any legislative way discriminate against any minority. We are open, friendly, tolerant, innovative, and practical, and like most, we know bullsh*t when we see and smell it.
It is important that we return to having a functional uncorrupted news media. That’s vital in a functional open democracy.
How do we do it? Well, we say no to those who would brainwash us. We don’t read, turn on or tune in to those who would manipulate us in pursuit of their woke agenda, and we tell them no more.
It means each of us as individuals must make choices and search for outlets and journalists who haven’t fallen down the propaganda rabbit hole.
Praise those who write objectively, report truthfully and stretch your horizons.
Ignore those who lecture you, are biased and unfair or engage in character assassination.
Be wary of those constantly reinforcing your prejudices too or feed you precisely what you want in their information echo chambers.
There are plenty of new media organisations being set up often by people like me with old media experience. And the way news is conveyed to you is rapidly changing, but the fundamental principles of what it should be are timeless. We no longer live in a world where the six o’clock news and the morning paper provide certainty and universal truth, but through the wonders of the digital age and by using our own common sense, we can discern a true picture of the world we live in and make up our own minds of how we react to and exist in it.
To fix our broken media is going to require some effort, you will need to complain and praise and search and comment, you’ll need to get involved, to think, to argue, to discuss and to speak up when you see something wrong.
This doesn’t have to be done with anger or hatred, I prefer humour and engagement, but there will be resistance from those who currently feel they control the narrative and, by extension you. I get the feeling right now that we have collectively had enough, and there is a mood to examine the failings of our media and change it for the better. I really want to be part of that change, and I hope you do too.
Sean Plunket is the founding editor of The Platform and an award-winning veteran broadcaster and television presenter. This article was first published at The Common Room
17 comments:
The Platform is a breath of fresh air.
I have never been a listener to talkback radio , long since ceased to listen to Radio NZ but i do listen to podcasts. I first started accessing the Platform for the opinion pieces. Discovering there the brilliant Graham Adams and superb Thomas Cranmer. I knew we were being lied to over 3 waters and having studied NZ History at tertiary level I could not understand the revised version being shoved down our throats by government and media. However I now listen to interviews on the Platform at the end of each day and enjoy them immensely . You don't insult your listeners and your support for Posie Parker has been enlightening. Keep up the good work.
Well said Sean and thank you for The Platform it is both intellectually encouraging and annoying at the same time, as it should be.
One comment I do disagree with in your article. "We are not a nation divided by race, we do not in any legislative way discriminate against any minority."
Today we may not discriminate against a minority but legislation abounds that does discriminate against the majority and that comes in the form of Three Waters, Local Council Maori seats allocated without election and the elephant in the room the new Maori Health Authority creating two health agencies based upon race which very much makes New Zealand an Apartheid Nation.
Thanks Sean
No wonder you have been able to survive in an environment that has no respect for experience or integrity - you have built up a large following based on your ability to cut to the chase and expose those who are prepared to sell their lies to the highest bidder.
You unashamedly focus on the truth and are not afraid to take on those who would want to retain control of a narrative that is not a reflection of the aspirations of the average kiwi.
In many ways we are simple folk but certainly not simpletons. That means we find it easy to recognise those who are foreign to a way of life that values humility and integrity. They have no place in our future so they might as well hop on the first plane to Australia - in the process “raising the IQ of both countries”.
Keep up the good work. You may be surprised at the numbers of Kiwis like me who support your contributions to a better society.
"This doesn’t have to be done with anger or hatred, I prefer humour and engagement."
It is rather difficult to be able to find a source of humour in a government and news media who treat the public with utter contempt. The only hint of humour is that they take themselves seriously. Nah, I'll stick to anger and hatred.
Well said as to be expected from a professional journalist. However I think your para starting ‘we are not a country divided by race’ is, regrettably, a thing of the past. It is a colonial idealism if we listen to the msm.
Thank goodness for the old guard who has the experience and courage to stand up to the new normal (otherwise known as BS or doublespeak or disinformation).
It seems now that everywhere one looks one sees politicisation of every issue. And tacit support from the media.
The first thing we need to do is pressure politicians to take their fingers out of the media pie. I will vote for any party that says they will not fund journalism in a way that gives control to politicians. To make that point see how the application for the PIJF was worded to get the contracts for the $55 million of our money to brainwash us. The media needs to be an entity that informs etc. as stated above so well.
MC
Do not partake of corporate media. It is a Psy-op.
Well said Sean. The MSM feels it their right to shape public opinion. The recipients are docile sheep that are in tune with this manipulation. However, as new platforms blossom the compliant flock will diminish.
Bravo, Sean !!!
What a breath of fresh air - from a real journalist. You are so right, and us real people need to stand up against the fantasy land woke that passes for mainstream media.
Doug
But we have the likes of 'Stuff' declaring every day that they are working for us - "not the Beehive", and then in behind the scenes we have the forever vigilant 'Disinformation Project', with its champions like Hannah & Hattotuwa protecting us against falsehoods and those that would seek to undermine our 'accepted and adopted' Marxist culture.
With all this 'honesty' and endeavour I don't know what you could be on about, Sean. Or perhaps maybe it's just because that beneath that very shallow veneer of BS we know we are fast becoming a divided ethnocracy and that truly open debate, free speech and democracy is fast becoming a thing of the past. One only has to look at the disgraceful shenanigans behind the recent Posie Parker visit to know that things are far from well in what once was colloquially known as Godzone.
Good on you for championing this very important cause, but the majority that see and read these commentaries are already well aware of the laziness, perversion and soul-selling that now permeates our Fourth Estate. It's getting it out to the vast majority of the five million that's the problem. But do keep up the good fight and, hopefully, come October we will turn this evil tide around.
Amen, amen, well spoke, Mr Plunket!
Or, given the dreadful state of the NZ MM (Mongrel Media in my book), and to quote a commenter on another forum:
"Hold your nose and just pretend to be a mushroom".
A couple of commenters (Anna Mouse & Anonymous, same person?) have placed a different slant on your claim that “We are not a nation divided by race, we do not in any legislative way discriminate against any minority.” I go along with their stance and would like to add to it. We certainly are divided by race whether we like or not, and our Maori politicians are actively expanding that divide as we speak. As to the matter of legislation the Waitangi Tribunal (aka the Maori Parliament in waiting) discriminates not against but on BEHALF of the minority.
Eamon Sloan - Anna Mouse and anonymous are not the same person.
Quote from breaking news:
On the budget-
“What that tells you is that most of our money is still trapped by non-Maori and when pakeha deploy resources, they deploy them by pakeha for pakeha to Maori. That robs of us of our social and economic capacity and capability to grow ourselves, because it’s no good just being a prisoner of a corrections system or a patient of a health system,” Mr Tamihere says.
For those who have yet to discover it, I can thoroughly commend The Platform. Can select interviews of interest. Shuan, Michael and the handsome mostly off camera researcher all very capable. No hint of cult fostering; Plunked wears a t shirt, seldom even looks at the camera. Reveals the gross flaws of the like of Meng Foon apparently without completely frightening him away. Somewhat loses simple souls like me occasionally but generally all very coherent. If the msm had watched the pre (and post) interviews of Posi Parker I suspect the whole affair would have developed very different.
The first thing an incoming Nat/ACT government should do is require all of the MSM to publish the secret terms of their contracts with this Labour government for PIJF funding.
That would demonstrate to the unquestioning public that they have been subject to propaganda for all these years.
I listen to you every day sean. The platform is utterly refershing and you even read out my texts, which the other lot never do. The msm are sinister now with their promotion of climate change. One drop of rain is repoerted as a mega storm, along with all their other agendas and brain washing of the public. Thank you for providing such a brilliant alternative for kiwis who are, at times, unaware of what is going on.
Having just endured the Laws/Bachelor interview about co governance I retract my praise above. Laws seems to have been too long in the deep south. He presumably has read none of my observations in BV about the threat of co governance. Or studied the mechanism and antics of the Tupuna Maunga Authority in Auckland. Bearing in mind that maori co governance groups are currently on best behaviour so that they do not jeopardise more of same. Nor apparently has he observed how any who oppose, or might, maori race based wards, karakakia etc are brought to heel by violent demonstration and threat of cancellation. If it were not for that threat, it is my guess very few councillors would have voted for maori wards. (In initial rounds they did not. Then the reality of likely cancellation dawned). 50/50 co governance is very insidious because maori vote as a nation wide coordinated bloc and invariably one of the "others" is effectively bribed or so terrified of cancellation that they align with the maori bloc. Thus maori govern totally. Anathema to most NZers. I presume Laws is not familiar with the degree of co everything written into so many Council documents; climate policy, Regional Parks Management etc. Because of their prowess at disorderly and violent demonstration, and their ability to wreck careers, business, employment etc by cancellation, maori/pro maori are very different from anti tree fellers and other tiny relatively meek and powerless, mainly local, activist groups.
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