While, in the context of operating in difficult economic circumstances has been affecting company bottom lines for some time, reality suggests that this latest management decision was to a certain extent inevitable.
Bob Jones, in one of his recent comments about the business of news delivery, made some pretty interesting observations about the dramatic decrease in viewer and reader numbers which have obviously contributed to this closure.
He has watched the changes in the demographic mix of those who still read newspapers and watch the TV news. Unfortunately, the bulk of customers still willing to pay to view or read appear to be those who are members of the baby boomer generation or older.
Be that as maybe, I am suggesting that another possible reason for this decline is that many of the Main Stream Media outlets are suffering from self inflicted wounds - for example, an abandonment of quality balanced reporting associated with a growing emergence of Woke journalism that is unashamedly aligned with left wing political movements popular throughout the western world.
There is an irony here that needs to be introduced to this conversation.
It is easy to understand a privately owned news company deciding to get out of the business because it can’t continue making losses due to reduced advertising income. But it is another thing for a major competitor (wholly government owned One Network News) continuing to operate contemptuously of any requirement to adhere to its charter principles. It would appear that some journalists are of the view that they have licence to ignore the sensitivities of viewers and readers who pay their enormous salaries. They act like rabid dogs that have slipped their collars.
This flagrant, arrogant, abuse of their positions by senior “journalists” like John Campbell who has decided that his mission in life is to distort the news he is reporting in pursuit of his idealogical objectives.
And nobody in management seems to have the moral capacity sufficient to reign him in or give him the boot.
Because nothing is more certain than if they don’t, some Government Minister of Broadcasting will be forced to direct the TVNZ board to give him his cards.
My guess is that Campbell and his counterpart rogue steer at Stuff, Tova O’Brien, will be told that their services are no longer luxuries the company can afford.
Good riddance.
Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.
7 comments:
Melissa Lee (et al) needs to have a specific meeting with the Board of TVNZ and with a very large white board go over the charter for them and reflect upon the funding etc. being aligned to that charter.
She also needs to bring in the heads and senior editors of TVNZ in another meeting with the same white board and repeat the same message.
Once done she can then set some KPI for both groups in respect to that charter and funding, their repsective employment contracts and the expected time frames to achieve said KPI, then sit back and wait.
If the expected charter KPI are not achieved then grounds become accessable for Ms. Lee to make change through personnel and funding cuts.
For RNZ this would be a rinse and repeat exercise.
This would enable this governmet to be at arms length of media 'interference' because all they are asking is that the organisations stick to their charters.
Of course she also could just sell TVNZ for $1 and be done with them because unlike Newshub TVNZ only survives because of the taxpayer funds provided to keep it afloat.
Sums it up nicely.
I am sorry to see Newshub and News First disappear, though – quite a bit less obnoxious than One News with its overt left-wing bias.
Come July, I expect I’ll be giving up the habit of watching the 6pm news regularly.
LFC
I have read morning newspapers all of my adult life and gone forth every day knowing a lot more about what is going on around me. Of recent years all I get is the opinions of what is going on around me. It doesn't matter so much that I often disagree with the opinions and the rampant bias but it does matter that I don't get the facts and widespread information about what is going on that I need. So I have cancelled my newspaper subscription.
The same for TV1 except for Dan who provides as much factual information about the weather that he can in the short time available to him. Apart from that there is little there.
If anyone was surprised, they clearly weren't paying attention. Although I guess given the complete lack of self-awareness the media class has exhibited over the past decade, that in itself is hardly a surprise.
The wall-to-wall sobbing coverage this morning across all the NZ MSM sites about these self-inflicted wounds is quite cringe-worthy. They really do think they are special.
Laughable. Good riddance indeed.
Hell Clive, I find myself agreeing with everything you say.
I can't be well !
My comment (retort) to Anna Mouse -
"I am not sure where you live, or what 'white powder' you may have inhaled prior to writing your comment" - BUT you want Melissa Lee to do what?
Marian Hobbs - Clark Govt as Minister of Broadcastings had "more you know what's that Lee has". And it was Dear Marian that set TVNZ on its intrepid journey, sadly toward oblivion.
Clive as usual, nailed it. Peter Williams has also stated a similar content on the subject of TV3 demise - which I am sure you will have read.
Sadly for New Zealand, this is what happens when an overseas concern comes to our shores and buys up a business, which if it does not show a monetary return - then ditches it. Disney has its own problems in America, money, plus a backlash from main stream Americans over the " go woke, then go broke" move and as some of their puerile films they currently produce are not great box office " hits" - got to shore up the " bleeding bank account somehow".
I just hope for your sake and the like minded people in your industry, that the 'owners' of Silver Farms do not decide to shut up shop in NZ.
Tom
You shouldn’t be afraid of agreeing with my comments. I note that you don’t always and that is a good thing.
I try to stimulate discussion based on the facts and only ask that those who disagree with my opinions use the same criteria when presenting an alternative view.
Quite a few of my detractors (and there are many) respond by questioning my character and integrity as if l shouldn’t be allowed to share the columns of this publication with those who are more experienced writers.
I am quite happy to be judged on the credibility of what l have to say. I’m sure that would also apply to most of those who contribute to these discussions. You can’t pretend to be someone you are not indefinitely.
Of course there will always be exceptions to that rule who consider their words unquestionable but usually, nobody takes them seriously.
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