Barrie Davis: Stuff, the Media Council and the HRC

In the lead-up to the election, Stuff went quiet on the issue of Maori co-governance but after voting closed 14 October Stuff published a number of articles against the incoming government’s co-governance pre-election statements. Why? Did Stuff and the NZ Media Council participate to distort our election? 

 On 13 October, after the polls had shown that the Labour government was in trouble, the Herald published “Election 2023: Chris Hipkins addresses the elephant in the election - by Māori for Māori solutions”. 

Graham Adams: From pigeon to statue - Siouxsie Wiles’ reputation takes a fresh hit

Graham Adams: Wiles faced flak last year for her role in the debate over including mātauranga Māori in the school science curriculum. Now a ruling by the Media Council has her back in the firing line.

Dr Siouxsie Wiles must by now have a good appreciation of the truth of the adage: “One day you’re the pigeon; the next day you’re the statue”.

A year ago, she was flying high. On 31 March 2021, she was made New Zealander of the Year for her leadership in the country’s Covid-19 response. She was presented with the award by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at a gala dinner in Auckland attended by 800 people.

On July 6, Dr Wiles was presented with the Critic and Conscience of Society Award, worth $50,000, given to academics who provide the public with independent, expert commentary on issues affecting the community.

Unfortunately, since those heady days, Dr Wiles’ reputation has taken a series of blows, including a brief furore over a video taken during last September’s Level 4 lockdown that showed her and another woman at an Auckland beach they had cycled to. They were chatting mask-less on the sand before the friend went into the water for a swim.