Jim Grenon, a name you should be familiar with unless you have been living under a rock, is a mover and a shaker, at least when it comes to the board of NZME. He has given the board a long overdue jolt out of its complacency. The actions he took woke them up from their slumber and the comfort zone they were living in.
This man, like the majority of us, was very dissatisfied with what he described as the sloppy journalism provided by the paper and its editorial stance. This is at marked variance with how the paper views itself. Only last week they were advertising yet another offer to subscribe to their premium service.
The offer came with the message that, “Every day we bring you expert reporting and commentary on national, business, sport and political issues, along with engaging and informative entertainment and lifestyle features and stories from leading global publishers like the New York Times.” Utter hogwash.
So those at the Herald think the New York Times is a “leading global publisher”.
Well, it is if you’re a hard-left journalist like most in the newsroom appear to be. Which is why we get so many skewed stories about Trump and his administration.
Only recently the NYT was caught using classified information and putting its own spin on it. That’s not journalism: it’s manufacturing the news to suit your chosen narrative. It’s bias, pure and simple.
The reality is that the Herald is a shadow of its former self. Back in the day when it was owned by Wilson and Horton and took pride in producing objective journalism that presented the facts, it was a paper worth buying. Not today.
News from outlets on the political right might also be accused of having a bias, but at least what they provide is accurate information. The American election last year was a classic example. The media on the right got it right and the left got it wrong.
So, back to Jim Grenon. He saw everything that was wrong with the Herald and set out to do something about it. He wants to make it a publication that is worthy of its place as the largest newspaper in the country. The board initially took umbrage at the cheek of this relatively new but fairly substantial shareholder interfering in their business. This type of brazenness came as a complete shock.
The union, in the person of the best-forgotten Michael Wood, raced to protect the precious little journos at the thought that their left-wing bias might be under threat. The very notion that their editorial stance was at risk was an anathema to them. No doubt they think their so-called independence puts them beyond reproof. Not according to Jim Grenon. And so say all of us.
The longer the situation that Jim Grenon created was allowed to go on, the greater the need became for the board to show some leadership to extract themselves from the hole they were in. To their credit, the board came up with a masterful solution: Steven Joyce. We all know his background so I won’t elucidate here. Suffice it to say he is the man of and for the moment: the proof is in the pudding. Jim Grenon has withdrawn all his earlier demands regarding the board and, subject to confirmation, is joining it as a director. He fully supports nominating Steven Joyce for the position of chair. This is a fantastic outcome for everyone concerned, not least the paper itself. Another plus is the decision to appoint a separate editorial board: this is badly needed.
My hope is that Jim Grenon and Steven Joyce will now seek to ensure the remedies needed to bring the Herald back to something like its former glory days will be implemented. When that happens, the returns to shareholders, which was another major concern, will be rectified and the stock will increase accordingly.
The journalists may not like it but, contrary to their beliefs, they are not the ones in charge. It is up to the board to decide the direction the paper will take and it is up to the journalists to put that into practice. Ditching the New York Times would be a good start, along with AP and any other misleading international news outfits they use as sources.
I see better times ahead for the Herald and for that we have to say well done and a big thank you to Mr Jim Grenon.
JC is a right-wing crusader. Reached an age that embodies the dictum only the good die young. This article was first published HERE
This man, like the majority of us, was very dissatisfied with what he described as the sloppy journalism provided by the paper and its editorial stance. This is at marked variance with how the paper views itself. Only last week they were advertising yet another offer to subscribe to their premium service.
The offer came with the message that, “Every day we bring you expert reporting and commentary on national, business, sport and political issues, along with engaging and informative entertainment and lifestyle features and stories from leading global publishers like the New York Times.” Utter hogwash.
So those at the Herald think the New York Times is a “leading global publisher”.
Well, it is if you’re a hard-left journalist like most in the newsroom appear to be. Which is why we get so many skewed stories about Trump and his administration.
Only recently the NYT was caught using classified information and putting its own spin on it. That’s not journalism: it’s manufacturing the news to suit your chosen narrative. It’s bias, pure and simple.
The reality is that the Herald is a shadow of its former self. Back in the day when it was owned by Wilson and Horton and took pride in producing objective journalism that presented the facts, it was a paper worth buying. Not today.
News from outlets on the political right might also be accused of having a bias, but at least what they provide is accurate information. The American election last year was a classic example. The media on the right got it right and the left got it wrong.
So, back to Jim Grenon. He saw everything that was wrong with the Herald and set out to do something about it. He wants to make it a publication that is worthy of its place as the largest newspaper in the country. The board initially took umbrage at the cheek of this relatively new but fairly substantial shareholder interfering in their business. This type of brazenness came as a complete shock.
The union, in the person of the best-forgotten Michael Wood, raced to protect the precious little journos at the thought that their left-wing bias might be under threat. The very notion that their editorial stance was at risk was an anathema to them. No doubt they think their so-called independence puts them beyond reproof. Not according to Jim Grenon. And so say all of us.
The longer the situation that Jim Grenon created was allowed to go on, the greater the need became for the board to show some leadership to extract themselves from the hole they were in. To their credit, the board came up with a masterful solution: Steven Joyce. We all know his background so I won’t elucidate here. Suffice it to say he is the man of and for the moment: the proof is in the pudding. Jim Grenon has withdrawn all his earlier demands regarding the board and, subject to confirmation, is joining it as a director. He fully supports nominating Steven Joyce for the position of chair. This is a fantastic outcome for everyone concerned, not least the paper itself. Another plus is the decision to appoint a separate editorial board: this is badly needed.
My hope is that Jim Grenon and Steven Joyce will now seek to ensure the remedies needed to bring the Herald back to something like its former glory days will be implemented. When that happens, the returns to shareholders, which was another major concern, will be rectified and the stock will increase accordingly.
The journalists may not like it but, contrary to their beliefs, they are not the ones in charge. It is up to the board to decide the direction the paper will take and it is up to the journalists to put that into practice. Ditching the New York Times would be a good start, along with AP and any other misleading international news outfits they use as sources.
I see better times ahead for the Herald and for that we have to say well done and a big thank you to Mr Jim Grenon.
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:
Perhaps. But the rear guard action will be deadly.
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