From reporting to rallying cry
RNZ Māori news journalist Layla Bailey-McDowell reported that Ngāti Tukorehe’s flags were taken down in what the iwi described as a blatant and violent racist attack and an act of terrorism.
None of these claims were challenged, which should be Journalism 101, especially when the taxpayer is footing the bill.
There is no effort to distinguish allegation from fact, no second voice, no attempt at balance. RNZ allows inflammatory accusations to stand uncontested.
The only person quoted is iwi spokesperson Tipi Wehipeihana. He speaks with confidence about the motives of people who have yet to be identified.
There is no alternative interpretation, and no suggestion that this could be an act of political vandalism rather than racial hatred.
Symbol or flashpoint?
The flags of Tino Rangatiratanga, He Whakaputanga, and Toitū Te Tiriti were erected in support of the Te Pāti Māori-linked Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti protests against ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill.
These flags are not neutral cultural emblems. They are symbols of a highly polarised political movement.
Notably, the Toitū Te Tiriti flag has clear links to Te Pāti Māori. The flag is produced by a private company owned by Kiri Tamihere, daughter of John Tamihere and wife of Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, according to official documents. This flag is overtly political and partisan, and at $55 each, it is marketed as the “ONLY official Toitū Te Tiriti” flag, making it also a commercial product.
None of this context appears in RNZ’s reporting.
Immediately framing it as racist terrorism rather than simple political vandalism keeps the temperature high and the outrage flowing. It’s a far more useful narrative for activists looking to capitalise on grievance and victimhood than admitting it might just be a flag fight that got out of hand. And RNZ should have known that.
Missing voices, missing context
The story makes no effort to situate the incident alongside similar acts of political vandalism. When protest signs linked to Groundswell or the anti-vaccine mandate movement were damaged or removed, RNZ typically framed them as civic tensions. Those stories did not mention hate crimes or terrorism. The double standard is obvious.
Police confirmed they received a report of wilful damage and are making enquiries. That detail appears near the end of the article, well after RNZ has irresponsibly allowed claims of racial violence to dominate the narrative.
The Centrist is a new online news platform that strives to provide a balance to the public debate - where this article was sourced.
There is no effort to distinguish allegation from fact, no second voice, no attempt at balance. RNZ allows inflammatory accusations to stand uncontested.
The only person quoted is iwi spokesperson Tipi Wehipeihana. He speaks with confidence about the motives of people who have yet to be identified.
There is no alternative interpretation, and no suggestion that this could be an act of political vandalism rather than racial hatred.
Symbol or flashpoint?
The flags of Tino Rangatiratanga, He Whakaputanga, and Toitū Te Tiriti were erected in support of the Te Pāti Māori-linked Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti protests against ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill.
These flags are not neutral cultural emblems. They are symbols of a highly polarised political movement.
Notably, the Toitū Te Tiriti flag has clear links to Te Pāti Māori. The flag is produced by a private company owned by Kiri Tamihere, daughter of John Tamihere and wife of Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, according to official documents. This flag is overtly political and partisan, and at $55 each, it is marketed as the “ONLY official Toitū Te Tiriti” flag, making it also a commercial product.
None of this context appears in RNZ’s reporting.
Immediately framing it as racist terrorism rather than simple political vandalism keeps the temperature high and the outrage flowing. It’s a far more useful narrative for activists looking to capitalise on grievance and victimhood than admitting it might just be a flag fight that got out of hand. And RNZ should have known that.
Missing voices, missing context
The story makes no effort to situate the incident alongside similar acts of political vandalism. When protest signs linked to Groundswell or the anti-vaccine mandate movement were damaged or removed, RNZ typically framed them as civic tensions. Those stories did not mention hate crimes or terrorism. The double standard is obvious.
Police confirmed they received a report of wilful damage and are making enquiries. That detail appears near the end of the article, well after RNZ has irresponsibly allowed claims of racial violence to dominate the narrative.
The Centrist is a new online news platform that strives to provide a balance to the public debate - where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
Do you expect anything different from RNZ? To the woke media, racism means disagreeing with a Maori, terrorism means arresting a Maori when they're dealing in drugs, and genocide means not giving them everything they want.
And there-in lies the problem NZ faces.....we have RNZ as the divisionist propagandising agent that thinks this is OK to do this without causing further social conflict. One could even suggest that what they want. Why, is anyones guess.
And this is why people don't listen or read RNZ , never to be trusted again.
Flagrantly racist !!!
RNZ....who listens to them? Perhaps they should be renamed FLRNZ. (Far Left RNZ).
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