John Campbell is returning to RNZ, as the new co-host of Morning Report alongside Ingrid Hipkiss.
RNZ’s Chief Audio Officer Pip Keane said the field of applicants for role on the flagship news programme was impressive but Campbell stood out.
“John’s experience as a journalist and host is exceptional, but equally important is his passion for pursuing the stories that matter and our audience values this strong journalism. He’s also a highly skilled interviewer, and that’s crucial for Morning Report.”
Keane says he will be a key part of RNZ’s dedicated audio plan, which aims to grow RNZ National’s audience.
John is a very skilled broadcaster and interviewer. He is extremely well known, and could well help turn around the declining numbers for Morning Report.
But in his last job at TVNZ he wrote opinion pieces which made clear (and was no surprise to anyone) that he holds string left of centre views and has a degree of contempt for the leaders of the centre-right parties, where he referred to their “heart of darkness”. Now you can have strong views on politics, and not let it affect you as a professional broadcaster. But will this happen here? Will Campbell interview Chloe Swarbrick the same way as he would Christoper Luxon? Time will tell.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders
4 comments:
The most concerning aspect of these appointments is that the people who make them can't see what the "John Campells" are actually like. Nobody could honestly believe John is not left wing could they?? So again I say, "Don't blame the appointee but the person who anoints them to the role".
More time need not pass to understand exactly how John Campbell will operate in to the future of his tenure at Red radio.
At his age don't expect any possibility of this leopard changing his spots.
I wonder if the likes of Pip Keane have ever listened extensively to Campbell. My guess is that with demanding jobs they have not. Or not sufficiently to tire of Campbells endless manufacture of underdogs and his childish faux excitement as he promotes their imagined cause. He may not hugely depress ratings as the more mature listeners have already gone, but he will not lure them back.
If I ever needed a reason not to go anywhere near RNZ again Campbell is it.
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