The evidence overwhelmingly suggests they don’t. Over the past couple of weeks we’ve witnessed an unedifying orgy of self-aggrandisement as Newshub journalists and broadcasters very publicly and ostentatiously mourn the imminent loss of their jobs.
Paddy Gower, Mike McRoberts, Samantha Hayes, Lloyd Burr, Eric Young and Melissa Chan-Green have all invited us to share their grief, although Chan-Green, holding back tears, at least had the self-awareness to acknowledge that other people have faced tough times too.
Young, who I’ve always respected as a newsreader, deserves special mention for his maudlin display on a video released today. “There’ll be no time for self-indulgence,” he says of his final bulletin. Just as well, because we’ve seen far too much already.
It has been a strange combination of self-pity and self-celebration. The Newshub team are appealing for public sympathy while simultaneously bigging themselves up in a manner that many ordinary New Zealanders will find risibly over-the-top and more than a little self-centred.
They’re behaving as if they’re the first people ever to experience the trauma of losing their jobs, but of course it happens all the time. Businesses constantly fail, often with far more damaging consequences for those affected.
Untold thousands of unskilled and semi-skilled New Zealanders have been thrown out of jobs by technological change or economic upheaval and faced a far bleaker outlook than the relatively small number of skilled and talented people affected by the Newshub closure, some of whom have already acquired new and presumably well-paid jobs.
The difference, of course, is that all those anonymous victims of redundancy had no public platform from which to draw attention to their misfortune. Newshub journalists do, either via their own medium or through others in the media (such as the Herald’s Shayne Currie, who has assiduously reported all the hand-wringing). I’m sure it’s not lost on the public that they are exploiting a privileged position.
Yes, losing your job must be tough. It's also problematical, from a public interest standpoint, that there will be one less competitor in the news arena. But the Newshub journalists would probably win more sympathy, and certainly more respect, if they took it on the chin, just as thousands of anonymous workers had no choice but to do when they found themselves surplus to requirements.
I wonder, what makes the Newshub employees so special that their fate warrants all this wailing and breast-beating? What makes them think they have more emotionally invested in their work than all those other poor stiffs who fell victim to the cruel caprice of changing markets? An obvious explanation is that television is a uniquely ego-stroking medium. It can create the illusion, at least within the bubble of those working in the business, that the lives of the people who report and deliver the news are themselves a matter of vital public interest. Fatally, they come to regard themselves as celebrities.
It’s worth noting that this overweening egotism and sense of entitlement doesn’t afflict all journalists. Hundreds of print journalists have lost their jobs in recent years, with serious consequences for the public’s right to know what’s going on in their communities. They went quietly, without public fuss. What is it that makes TV journalists think their role is so uniquely precious?
Similarly, when the Evening Post ceased to exist as a title when it was merged with The Dominion in 2002, it marked its own passing with a one-off commemorative issue that was notably light on self-congratulations. Hardly a word was published about the individuals who produced the paper. It was largely left to readers and public figures to write about what the Post had meant to them and to Wellington. (And bear in mind, this was a newspaper that had been an essential part of Wellington life for 137 years. Newshub, by way of contrast, came into existence only 35 years ago and was never more than a secondary player in its market.)
Well, here’s the news, to coin a phrase: life will go on. A timeline of Newshub’s history, published today in the Herald, graphically demonstrates that TV news and current affairs programmes come and go and are soon forgotten. The timeline serves as a striking reminder that television is essentially an ephemeral medium. Many of the shows mentioned have long since faded from the public memory, along with the names of the people who presented them. The same will happen to the 6 o’clock Newshub News, and possibly sooner than many of its employees imagine.
Karl du Fresne, a freelance journalist, is the former editor of The Dominion newspaper. His blog can be found at karldufresne.blogspot.co.nz.
Young, who I’ve always respected as a newsreader, deserves special mention for his maudlin display on a video released today. “There’ll be no time for self-indulgence,” he says of his final bulletin. Just as well, because we’ve seen far too much already.
It has been a strange combination of self-pity and self-celebration. The Newshub team are appealing for public sympathy while simultaneously bigging themselves up in a manner that many ordinary New Zealanders will find risibly over-the-top and more than a little self-centred.
They’re behaving as if they’re the first people ever to experience the trauma of losing their jobs, but of course it happens all the time. Businesses constantly fail, often with far more damaging consequences for those affected.
Untold thousands of unskilled and semi-skilled New Zealanders have been thrown out of jobs by technological change or economic upheaval and faced a far bleaker outlook than the relatively small number of skilled and talented people affected by the Newshub closure, some of whom have already acquired new and presumably well-paid jobs.
The difference, of course, is that all those anonymous victims of redundancy had no public platform from which to draw attention to their misfortune. Newshub journalists do, either via their own medium or through others in the media (such as the Herald’s Shayne Currie, who has assiduously reported all the hand-wringing). I’m sure it’s not lost on the public that they are exploiting a privileged position.
Yes, losing your job must be tough. It's also problematical, from a public interest standpoint, that there will be one less competitor in the news arena. But the Newshub journalists would probably win more sympathy, and certainly more respect, if they took it on the chin, just as thousands of anonymous workers had no choice but to do when they found themselves surplus to requirements.
I wonder, what makes the Newshub employees so special that their fate warrants all this wailing and breast-beating? What makes them think they have more emotionally invested in their work than all those other poor stiffs who fell victim to the cruel caprice of changing markets? An obvious explanation is that television is a uniquely ego-stroking medium. It can create the illusion, at least within the bubble of those working in the business, that the lives of the people who report and deliver the news are themselves a matter of vital public interest. Fatally, they come to regard themselves as celebrities.
It’s worth noting that this overweening egotism and sense of entitlement doesn’t afflict all journalists. Hundreds of print journalists have lost their jobs in recent years, with serious consequences for the public’s right to know what’s going on in their communities. They went quietly, without public fuss. What is it that makes TV journalists think their role is so uniquely precious?
Similarly, when the Evening Post ceased to exist as a title when it was merged with The Dominion in 2002, it marked its own passing with a one-off commemorative issue that was notably light on self-congratulations. Hardly a word was published about the individuals who produced the paper. It was largely left to readers and public figures to write about what the Post had meant to them and to Wellington. (And bear in mind, this was a newspaper that had been an essential part of Wellington life for 137 years. Newshub, by way of contrast, came into existence only 35 years ago and was never more than a secondary player in its market.)
Well, here’s the news, to coin a phrase: life will go on. A timeline of Newshub’s history, published today in the Herald, graphically demonstrates that TV news and current affairs programmes come and go and are soon forgotten. The timeline serves as a striking reminder that television is essentially an ephemeral medium. Many of the shows mentioned have long since faded from the public memory, along with the names of the people who presented them. The same will happen to the 6 o’clock Newshub News, and possibly sooner than many of its employees imagine.
Karl du Fresne, a freelance journalist, is the former editor of The Dominion newspaper. His blog can be found at karldufresne.blogspot.co.nz.
10 comments:
NZ was near self sufficent in many things. We made radios, TVs, whiteware, assembled cars, reconsditioned car engines, processed wool, operatd foundaries etc. Most of those manufactured goods from China represent jobs once done here. The prospects of an equivalent job for a displaced toolmaker for example at least as bleak as for a journo. A huge number of communications technicians eliminated; their skills as difficult to adapt as journos. Over the decades I do not recall much attention given the matter by journos.
I accidentally wiped a comment beginning with "I am curious to know....."
Kindly resubmit.
With my apologies
MODERATOR
Wow!
Am I allowed to state - " it is amazing what rest & rehab can do"!
Karl du Fresne - welcome back, your written opinions have been missed.
Long may they continue.
How many of us would on reflection, say that being made redundant was a very positive thing, and that pushed us out of the cozy cosseted newsroom environment.
No sympathy, walk out head high, and find another occupation that brings greater job satisfaction.
And that occupation exists, just extend yourself and find it.
Good to hear from you again Karl.
Yes redundancy is common in the workplace these days. During Covid many people lost their jobs because they refused to be jabbed. Where was the medias write-ups about them ? What about those businesses that went broke because of the lock downs ? Then there were those who were vaccine injured. Did the media show any concern for them ? The answer to these questions is all no.
I have therefore little sympathy for these journos who behaved and continue to act as toadies to keep their jobs. Get a conscience and write balanced articles that includes writing about others' genuine suffering during these troubled times.
I have reported extensively about bullying in our workplaces, especially in our public service. Perhaps readers are getting tired of my articles on this topic, but the problem is much bigger than is commonly realised. We must keep up the pressure to stop the nastiness that damages so many people.
In the education space (but also in other domains), I have seen very competent people abused out of their jobs by unqualified, so-called managers, and either forced into lower-paid work or left stranded with no income. Those people get no redundancy payout.
As a professional statistician I have analyzed the reporting of our media. It has been very biased for several years and in my view has contributed in a significant way to political problems that New Zealand now has to repair. Our work is cut out for us to achieve improved education, health and community relations. However, those Newshub staff will get several tens of thousands of dollars in payouts and may find new work very quickly.
I feel a bit sorry for them, but much sorrier for those dumped out of our public service by bullying CEOs and managers.
David Alexander Lillis
Karl, love it that you are back. From a very selfish perspective, I hope you are back for good!!
You won't find me disagreeing with you in the slightest, in all honesty I find nz msm journos and news reporters disgraceful, with highly biased agendas who standing and credibility in the community is around the level of the common thief and deserve to be treated as such.
All the best
David , I am not tired of hearing about your bullying experiences, specifically at the MoE.
This ministry have perfected bullying, and the techniques also seen across much of the public service as well ass in schools where parents daren't speak out for fear of retaliation against their children. Teachers have also been maneuvered out of their positions if they didn't conform to the Ministry's dictates and ideology.
We met an overseas psychiatrist a while ago who stated NZ has a bullying culture. Maybe this is why we have gone downhill so rapidly as a country.
Behind all this is the woke -progressive ideology with strangle-holds in not just the the media. It is a toxic and aggressive bullying movement which insists on getting its own way tolerating no criticism, akin to religious fanaticism. Why are the journos not perceptive enough to see their own objectionable intolerance ?
Things soon forgotten - the Diminion Newspaper and this du Frense guy - buried away in a forgotten corner of social media land where perpetually grumpy elderly people come to join the online complaints crowd. What a way to waste lives.
We have long ago grown tired of journalists who instead of reporting news issues, have only offered there opinion on news issues. Last week we were treated to a tsunami of segments where the Newshub crowd gave us their opinions on how bloody marvellous they have been. They may have received more sympathy if they had given us less of their opinions in the past.
Couldn’t agree more with the comments already made about the lack of reporting of both sides of the issues that are dividing this country.
Have missed your articles Karl. Great to see you back on this site.
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