Clive Bibby: The 4th Estate and 5th Columnists

Readers, including myself, often make the mistake of including these two media outlets in the same benign category of democracy oversight.

In fact the term “Fourth Estate” has traditionally referred to the non-political cornerstone upon which our democracy is based. In a free society such as ours, it is an important part of how our political system works - the election of Local and Central Governments and the format most commonly used by constituents in the process of defending their individual civil rights against powerful community special interest groups.

But unfortunately, that definition appears to have made way for a far more sinister interpretation of what that “former bastion of our democratic process” has become.

Its majority membership has morphed into what has traditionally been known as “Fifth Columnists” - a group of journalists focused on influencing the outcome of elections by introducing propaganda favourable to one particular party’s interpretation of power sharing at the expense of all other parties and their supporters participating in the democratic process.

You can’t make this up!

Yet it should be obvious to viewers of virtually all TV channels during this election campaign that the coverage is dominated by items - either favouring the “Left leaning candidates” - Labour, Greens, Te Pati Maori and since the start of the election campaign, The Opportunity Party - or focusing on missteps by candidates of the “Right” - National, NZ First and Act.

While I am aware of the howls of indignant denial from those involved with this “conspiracy”, the evidence of their clandestine operation has caught them red handed and they seem unable to explain the obvious partial interpretation of the local news. They appear to have no shame!

It gets worse.

We are also expected to accept the overseas segment of the 6pm Network broadcast as a fair interpretation of overseas events - whether it be reporting on the US midterms or who is responsible for the worldwide rise in the cost of living.

What I find interesting in all this is the emerging facts that, in spite of all these blatant attempts to change the direction of democracy in countries like ours, they appear to have dismally failed in what should have been a “slam dunk” mission .

At the start of the campaign, polls all seemed to suggest the Coalition was fighting for its own survival. Same in the US.

Well, thankfully we are now experiencing a turnaround in fortunes and the media’s preferred outcome appears to have run out of steam at the final hurdle although some credit must be given to Labour having shot itself in the foot over the “Gang association” controversy. Finally, voters have seen the “Left” campaign for what it is - with apologies to Justice Mahon - “an orchestrated litany of lies”

Mind you, as I sit here watching the mid evening news, the media are doing their level best to justify the lies.

For them it has become an unapologetic attempt to salvage what is “left” (excuse the pun) of their once honourable reputation although my guess is that it will be “too little, too late.”

Too bad!

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who now lives in Taranaki.