It would appear these people can’t see the wood for the trees. They are either ignoring, don’t realise or are deliberately in denial as to the main reason for their financial predicament. Certain things like the obvious loss of audience in some areas were mentioned but the usual excuses were trotted out, such as increasing competition. All the more reason, then, to address the root cause of the loss of audience and/or readership.
I’ll start with the 6pm news and Simon Dallow, who is reportedly mulling over when he might leave his position. We should recognise he simply reads what he is given and has nothing to do with what reporters say because too often he cops flak for content that we don’t like. My understanding of him is he’s a very likeable person.
That said, he too appears caught up in the wood/trees scenario. The Herald article reports him as saying a newsreader’s job was “essentially functional”. Correct. “Here is the news… now let me get out of the way. As a viewer, I want to see and hear unbiased, dispassionate information that is not influenced or coloured in any way by the presenter, leaving the viewer truly free to make up their own mind,” Simon said.
DON’T WE ALL!
His statement has a couple of flaws. First, he can’t get out of the way: he is effectively glued to his seat for the full hour. Second, he has no control over the content and therefore no say in how reporters choose to present stories. Hence we shouldn’t blame him. Don’t shoot the messenger or don’t watch the news.
It seems most journalists have a left-wing bent which, to give them their due, they admit to. But to bring it to people’s living rooms each night is unbecoming of any self-respecting journalist and unprofessional.
If a media outlet is privately owned, it is their choice what they do and they rise or fall financially based on their audience numbers. The problem arises with government-owned media outlets. Because they’re taxpayer funded, viewers expect unbiased news but don’t get it. This is most apparent on the BBC, the ABC and TVNZ. They are all losing audience share and shouldn’t be wondering why.
The world politically is moving right and these outlets, plus the Herald and Stuff, all choose to have a focus directed the other way. No one is suggesting these media entities should present news with a right-wing slant, but government-run media should present just the facts. That is what unbiased news is.
Those working in newsrooms, both government and private, with a left-wing agenda are doing more damage to their companies than any competition is. They are turning off people in droves. The election of Donald Trump is a prime example: he avoided legacy media and concentrated on social media and podcasts. These are the places people have gone to, plus the right-wing outlets that present news as it is.
They aren’t buying the lies and propaganda coming out of the likes of CNN, ABC, NBC and MSNBC. These channels all manufactured polling in favour of Kamala Harris, covered up for Biden’s mental condition and went into bat for the Biden family’s corruption scandals. These outlets, all privately owned and operated, have lost huge amounts of audience and money. Some have been sued and MSNBC is now up for sale.
On the other side, outlets like Fox News and Newsmax are surviving. Newsmax last year issued a public float with a target of raising $150 million. This was achieved and now they are extending the offer to between $175 to $200 million. News is broadcast on the basis of what happened, not phony nonsense. It might carry an opinion as well but it’s mainly the truth. This is, unsurprisingly, what most people want.
In Australia, Sky News is far outperforming the ABC. In the UK, Sky News, which has moved to the left politically is not doing so well and GB News is outperforming both Sky and the BBC. Just recently Sky News and BBC News were forced to leave from outside the Liverpool Crown Court. They were reporting on the Southport attack but the locals, so incensed by their previous coverage, kicked them out. And this happened in a Labour stronghold! It’s another example of people sick of left-wing media’s deliberate bias.
Returning to the Media Insider, the article discusses likely replacements for Dallow. Names mentioned are Melissa Stokes, Jack Tame and Daniel Faitaua. In my view, these people are not the answer: I would be looking at Ryan Bridge. But, the presenter alone is not the complete answer. The bias must go and the journalists must become much more objective in their reporting.
Look at Newstalk ZB, the only shining light in the NZME stable. As it’s a news/talk outlet, the presenters are allowed personal opinions. The two most opinionated, Mike Hosking and Heather du Plessis Allan, host Breakfast and Drive. Listeners to these programmes lean right, as do Mike and Heather. This is basic stuff if you want to win in a highly competitive market.
Compare that to RNZ, another failing state-owned monolith propped up by taxpayers’ money which provides their presenters the opportunity to drone on in sonorous tones, mainly to civil servants. The government might own it but the organisation’s ‘independence’ evidently prevents them from interfering. It’s the same with TVNZ. We, the shareholders, deserve better.
Ryan Bridge is replacing Heather while she is on maternity leave and he will retain Heather’s loyal audience. He might be more centrist than Heather but he will fit the bill. This is not rocket science.
This Government needs to recognise that if they are not willing to act on TVNZ, and RNZ, they are simply throwing our good money after bad. That is unacceptable.
JC is a right-wing crusader. Reached an age that embodies the dictum only the good die young. This article was first published HERE
That said, he too appears caught up in the wood/trees scenario. The Herald article reports him as saying a newsreader’s job was “essentially functional”. Correct. “Here is the news… now let me get out of the way. As a viewer, I want to see and hear unbiased, dispassionate information that is not influenced or coloured in any way by the presenter, leaving the viewer truly free to make up their own mind,” Simon said.
DON’T WE ALL!
His statement has a couple of flaws. First, he can’t get out of the way: he is effectively glued to his seat for the full hour. Second, he has no control over the content and therefore no say in how reporters choose to present stories. Hence we shouldn’t blame him. Don’t shoot the messenger or don’t watch the news.
It seems most journalists have a left-wing bent which, to give them their due, they admit to. But to bring it to people’s living rooms each night is unbecoming of any self-respecting journalist and unprofessional.
If a media outlet is privately owned, it is their choice what they do and they rise or fall financially based on their audience numbers. The problem arises with government-owned media outlets. Because they’re taxpayer funded, viewers expect unbiased news but don’t get it. This is most apparent on the BBC, the ABC and TVNZ. They are all losing audience share and shouldn’t be wondering why.
The world politically is moving right and these outlets, plus the Herald and Stuff, all choose to have a focus directed the other way. No one is suggesting these media entities should present news with a right-wing slant, but government-run media should present just the facts. That is what unbiased news is.
Those working in newsrooms, both government and private, with a left-wing agenda are doing more damage to their companies than any competition is. They are turning off people in droves. The election of Donald Trump is a prime example: he avoided legacy media and concentrated on social media and podcasts. These are the places people have gone to, plus the right-wing outlets that present news as it is.
They aren’t buying the lies and propaganda coming out of the likes of CNN, ABC, NBC and MSNBC. These channels all manufactured polling in favour of Kamala Harris, covered up for Biden’s mental condition and went into bat for the Biden family’s corruption scandals. These outlets, all privately owned and operated, have lost huge amounts of audience and money. Some have been sued and MSNBC is now up for sale.
On the other side, outlets like Fox News and Newsmax are surviving. Newsmax last year issued a public float with a target of raising $150 million. This was achieved and now they are extending the offer to between $175 to $200 million. News is broadcast on the basis of what happened, not phony nonsense. It might carry an opinion as well but it’s mainly the truth. This is, unsurprisingly, what most people want.
In Australia, Sky News is far outperforming the ABC. In the UK, Sky News, which has moved to the left politically is not doing so well and GB News is outperforming both Sky and the BBC. Just recently Sky News and BBC News were forced to leave from outside the Liverpool Crown Court. They were reporting on the Southport attack but the locals, so incensed by their previous coverage, kicked them out. And this happened in a Labour stronghold! It’s another example of people sick of left-wing media’s deliberate bias.
Returning to the Media Insider, the article discusses likely replacements for Dallow. Names mentioned are Melissa Stokes, Jack Tame and Daniel Faitaua. In my view, these people are not the answer: I would be looking at Ryan Bridge. But, the presenter alone is not the complete answer. The bias must go and the journalists must become much more objective in their reporting.
Look at Newstalk ZB, the only shining light in the NZME stable. As it’s a news/talk outlet, the presenters are allowed personal opinions. The two most opinionated, Mike Hosking and Heather du Plessis Allan, host Breakfast and Drive. Listeners to these programmes lean right, as do Mike and Heather. This is basic stuff if you want to win in a highly competitive market.
Compare that to RNZ, another failing state-owned monolith propped up by taxpayers’ money which provides their presenters the opportunity to drone on in sonorous tones, mainly to civil servants. The government might own it but the organisation’s ‘independence’ evidently prevents them from interfering. It’s the same with TVNZ. We, the shareholders, deserve better.
Ryan Bridge is replacing Heather while she is on maternity leave and he will retain Heather’s loyal audience. He might be more centrist than Heather but he will fit the bill. This is not rocket science.
This Government needs to recognise that if they are not willing to act on TVNZ, and RNZ, they are simply throwing our good money after bad. That is unacceptable.
JC is a right-wing crusader. Reached an age that embodies the dictum only the good die young. This article was first published HERE
1 comment:
CNN is so bad that the online memes have them being congratulated for being the only news media that has more employees than viewers.
TVNZ is probably following the same track.
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