■ RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson had a choice. He could make a polarising appointment or a non-polarising one. He chose the former. In doing so, he gave the fingers to the large (and I suspect growing) number of New Zealanders who neither like Campbell nor trust him as an impartial journalist and commentator. Disregarding RNZ’s obligation to serve all New Zealanders, Thompson made an appointment that he must know will alienate people and almost certainly lead to a further loss of faith in RNZ. He didn't have to do it; there were alternatives.
■ Thompson is either tone-deaf or indifferent to public opinion. An alternative explanation is that he is a weak manager who has yielded to internal pressure to appoint someone the RNZ establishment will be comfortable with. Certainly Campbell will be seen as a compatible ideological fit with other leftist RNZ broadcasters. (I don’t know what Thompson’s personal political views are or whether he even has any, but they may have played no part in his decision.)
■ It’s not just Campbell’s politics that are polarising; it’s also his style as a broadcaster, which alternates between gushingly ingratiating and finger-waggingly pompous and condescending. He professes to be a man of the people and to speak for ordinary New Zealanders, but he’s not and he doesn’t. He proved that when he spectacularly spat the dummy in 2023 because his fellow New Zealanders elected a centre-right government.
■ According to Shayne Currie’s Media Insider column in the New Zealand Herald, RNZ says it’s confident that Campbell is committed to impartial journalism and “like all employees of RNZ, will be held to that high standard through our comprehensive editorial policy”. At best, this is meaningless PR flannel; at worst, it’s plain dishonest. If Campbell has demonstrated anything in recent years, it’s that he’s incapable of impartial journalism. He doesn’t even believe in impartial journalism.
■ Currie also reports that Campbell’s appointment was the subject of “robust discussion” by the RNZ board, but that the directors ultimately deferred to Thompson’s right as CEO to make the call. It’s not hard to surmise which board members are likely to have supported the appointment and which of them resisted it. Those in the former category are likely to be gone once their current terms expire, but by then the damage will have been done to RNZ’s already tarnished reputation.
■ It’s not just Campbell’s politics that are polarising; it’s also his style as a broadcaster, which alternates between gushingly ingratiating and finger-waggingly pompous and condescending. He professes to be a man of the people and to speak for ordinary New Zealanders, but he’s not and he doesn’t. He proved that when he spectacularly spat the dummy in 2023 because his fellow New Zealanders elected a centre-right government.
■ According to Shayne Currie’s Media Insider column in the New Zealand Herald, RNZ says it’s confident that Campbell is committed to impartial journalism and “like all employees of RNZ, will be held to that high standard through our comprehensive editorial policy”. At best, this is meaningless PR flannel; at worst, it’s plain dishonest. If Campbell has demonstrated anything in recent years, it’s that he’s incapable of impartial journalism. He doesn’t even believe in impartial journalism.
■ Currie also reports that Campbell’s appointment was the subject of “robust discussion” by the RNZ board, but that the directors ultimately deferred to Thompson’s right as CEO to make the call. It’s not hard to surmise which board members are likely to have supported the appointment and which of them resisted it. Those in the former category are likely to be gone once their current terms expire, but by then the damage will have been done to RNZ’s already tarnished reputation.
Karl du Fresne, a freelance journalist, is the former editor of The Dominion newspaper. He occasionally blogs at karldufresne.blogspot.com where this article was sourced.
14 comments:
So - clear evidence that the media will aid Luxon's murky election plan to govern alone - or with a Left party in coalition. No surprise.
Welcome to Bubbleonia! Only the views of those who prostrate themselves within the Bubble of public broadcasting will be considered!
I think of Campbell as a posturing puppet of the Left, one to whom I have not listened (I don’t watch television) for the past decade or more, a 90:10 man - 90% ego, 10% substance.
Well said, Karl. His 'style' is enough in itself to have me turn him off and I'm sure I'm far from alone. What is it with those 'in charge' these days, they seem to have zero ability to read the room, yet alone understand their potential supporters?
I prefer safer spaces like this one compared to the terrifying variety of what I might stumble across on RNZ. You never know what they’re gonna throw at you next!
Many year ago Campbell was tolerable but his ability to see underdogs everywhere and his excited fanciful promotion of them is now insufferable. Perhaps when the Board chair changes we will get some balance back into RNZ. One consolation; few listen to Morning Report.
I see Campbell as an unctious biased leftist. No doubt well paid thanks to the taxpayer money that RNZ gets due to the silly supporters in the National Party.
No worries actually, Karl.
Despite the self promotion and rnz’s claim that Campbell has committed to balanced journalism, his record speaks for itself.
Rnz claims he gained 50,000 listeners for checkpoint.
Fact of the matter is Paul Thompson’s ill judgments contributed immensely to the broadcasters declining audience.
Campbell will appeal only to those still tuning in to rnz for their daily dose of propaganda. He won’t be dragging back any of the listeners who have thrown their hands up in disgust and abandoned a mouthpiece for the woke.
— PB
I’m in full agreement with anon above. Spot on.
Are you just grumpy you’re not in the industry any more Karl? Campbell has done some great work this year but you don’t seem to want to acknowledge quality journalism.
You have said it for me, Anon at 7:58 a.m.
Campbell is on record as calling his professional role "activism journalism". 'Nuff said.
I also agree with Anon. A righteous, masculine perspective.
RNZ's latest cunning plan ?
Move into TVNZ's building and splash out NZ$10.66 million of the taxpayers money on outfitting their space so that they can broadcast their propaganda in the highest quality audio.
This on top of Maori TV several channels of TV, and umpty diddly taxpayer funded ethic radio stations.
RNZ has occupied its current Auckland premises on Hobson Street for more than 20 years and in that time the number of Auckland-based RNZ kaimahi has grown from 30 to over 160.(end quote)
What do they all do, apart from updating the newly minted te reo words to their in house lexicon ?
Any surprise that NZ is being saturated with Maori wonderfullness ?
Where did all this maoriness come from anyway? Whoever is stirring it up should go back to their own country.
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