Posts by Matthew Littlewood
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Russell Brown,
Just been having some brief interaction with Henare on Twitter: he’s doubling down on the NOTW comparison and a comparison with Watergate. Doesn’t seem to realise that that journalists were the heroes in Watergate.
And ironically, journalists were responsible for uncovering the wrongdoing of their contemporaries in the NOTW scandal, which only heightened the sheer explosiveness of it. I think we'll look back at the last year or so as some kind of turning point for journalism- both in terms in what's been covered (from Wikileaks to NOTW and the Arab Spring, and closer to home, Pike River and the ChCh earthquakes), but also how it's been covered. We do live in pretty exciting and potentially dangerous times for the profession.
Erm, sorry for the tangent! :)
-
Unless I misunderstand him, the National MP is here suggesting the Herald on Sunday’s alleged behaviour is worse than that of a British tabloid with an institutional culture of mendacity so endemic and rotten that it was closed down by its owners; a paper that hacked the phone of a murdered child to improve its commercial prospects. Really, Tau?
Yes, Toby's right. It's the evoking of News of the World that's really got to me. While there are very real ethical (as well as legal) discussions to be had around whether a publication should or shouldn't use the tapes, public interest or not, the leap required to draw comparison with the NOTW scandal is so vast it insults not only those who were directly affected by the hacking, but also the likes of Davies, Rusbridger and others at the Guardian who spent years uncovering the case, arguably at great risk to their own professional careers, not least when it transpired that it went all the way to the top, with senior members of the Met implicated, as well as the Prime Minister's then-chief comms man. I mean, really, let's get some perspective here
That said, there are real ethical quandries around the incident itself- but that's a separate issue.
On another note, as media events go, this "cup of tea" has to be shambolic in ways that I bet even the parties involved didn't expect it to be.
-
Hard News: Winning the RWC: it's complicated, in reply to Sacha,
That rugby history series I mentioned is on Maori TV at 8.30 pm tonight. Called "The Game of Our Lives".
I really wish they would update that series. It seems to poignantly finish just on the dawn of professionalism. It's just as fascinating as a social documentary as it is a sporting one- particularly how it touches upon how the New Zealand workforce changed dramatically in the 1980s-1990s, and how rugby changed with it.
"The Wait of A Nation" (which screened afterwards), felt a bit like a talking-heads promo for the latest RWC campaign at times, but it was well put together, and not too overdone, and featured good contributions from everyone, particularly Anton Oliver and Gregor Paul.
They must've caught Graham Henry on a good day too- he was smiling throughout most of his segments!
-
Hard News: Winning the RWC: it's complicated, in reply to John Armstrong,
Absolutely. I've developed a strong loyalty to Maori TV's coverage during this tournament, which was only strengthened on Saturday when I heard (during TV1's buildup to the first semifinal) Tane Randall claim that he had 'a sneaking suspicion that France might play like France'. Those are your tax dollars paying for such insights folks. Give me Glen Osbourne's constant teasing self-promotion any day.
I've also been quietly enjoying Peter Fitzsimon's apparently sincere attempts to plug his fellow commentators' for insights into Te Reo and various aspects of Maoritanga in general. Given the general thrust of the opening ceremony, Maori TV has just felt like the natural place to watch the Cup. Capital 'C' intended..
Yes, Maori TV's congenial and good-humoured style "sounds like us" to borrow a tagline from another state-owned broadcaster. I think SKY TV has been professional, but the laidback yet informative approach of Maori TV's coverage has been (to use a rugby cliche) "the winner on the day".
Also, I've been loving The Crowd Goes Wild over the last month or so. Mark Richardson was on stupendous form last night, there was that great riff about how he would offer Brad Thorn a spot on his "motorcycle club", and his co-presenters' ribbing that he lives in "an affluent area". All of the show's regulars have been stars- good-humoured, self-mocking and in love with sport but willing to puncture a lot of the hype- although Mark Ellis has looked a bit out of place at times.
As for the rugby, I don't think I've felt so nervous before a big match before. I was stewing about it for at least a couple of days before it. But what a performance!
I would also like to thank Emma for putting up with my 'minute-by-minute' text updates of each ABs match during the RWC.
I've seen the ABs play more expansively, and I've certainly seen them win more comprehensively against quality opposition, but I don't think I've ever seen them more fired up and committed to every aspect of their play. They seemed to have all the likely options worked out (the targeting of Cooper and Pocock was obviously pre-planned), and Dagg, Jane and Kahui were just magnificent, running and diving at everything.
The tackling from McCaw and Thorn was immense, and as long as we win the RWC, I hope to see that Brad Thorn "fist pump" played over and over. A telling moment.
-
Hard News: The Sound of Music, in reply to Russell Brown,
Scribe called his debut album The Crusader for a reason. Tiki Taane and Optimus Grime both created new works for the RWC 2011 opening ceremony.
I seem to remember Gary Steel writing an article about the state of NZ Music back, in say, 2003, where he made some off-hand reference to NZ Hip Hop "paying literal lip service" to their own country, the implication seemed to suggest Scribe was a particular offender. No disrespect to Steel's- he's a great music writer, and I'm not really a fan of Scribe , and there probably is some merit in the broader scope of his comments. But I felt he was off-base on that one. One of the reasons that album really connected with young New Zealand audiences is the fact that he was rapping about something that was literally on their doorstep. It's probably the only rap record (thank goodness) that features a literal shot-out to South Canterbury. And surely "Not Many" would sound great blasting over the PA System after the All Blacks score a try off a rolling maul?
As an aside, whenever I've heard Shayne Carter talk about cricket, football or rugby, I often feel he's missed his calling as a Sports journalist. And then I remember that y'know, one of the finest artists New Zealand music has produced. Again, I nominate "She Speeds" to be played after a runaway try, or just to screw with everyone Dimmer's "Crystallator" at some wildly inappropriate moment.
As for the music over the PA system, I agree, it was perhaps the one dud note of the otherwise awesome atmosphere of the Ireland vs Italy match in Dunedin. It reduced what was something pretty unique- an Irish throng in Dunedin!- to something that could've existed anywhere, if only for a few seconds.
-
Hard News: The scandal that keeps on giving, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Sorry, Matthew, who’s playing the false equivalence now? Unless you’ve seen something I haven’t, The Telegraph has consistently refused to disclose its source and neither confirmed-nor-denied that money changed hands to obtain the information. Also fair to point out that The Met declined to investigate these allegations.
But say the biggest story The Torygraph has broken in years was six-figure chequebook journalism? Do you think it’s credible to say “yes, it was a legitimate story in the public interest” and still have serious ethical qualms about journalists and editors paying for stories?
Oh yes, absolutely. And there are probably questions to be raised about how they got the information, although, it was certainly in the public good, and arguably the biggest political story of the last two decades (along with this one, it seems!). But in the case of the Telegraph expenses scoop and Baldwin, I don’t think either were obtained through illegal means- although there may well have been underhand methods used.
And oh dear, that Youtube clip is a trainwreck! Why does Wolf Blitzer have to SHOUT ALL THE TIME?
-
Hard News: The scandal that keeps on giving, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
And I’d also note a little irony about the phone-hacking that someone on Mediawatch last week pointed out: It’s hard to see any news-worthy information obtained that couldn’t have been uncovered legally by old school leg work.
But as the same person pointed out, that takes time, experience and a properly resourced newsroom and an institutional memory at your back. I don’t think stringing up Rupert Murdoch from the nearest lamp post is going to do a damn thing to break that vicious circle.
Now this I can agree on- in the sense that Murdoch's fall will not, by itself, change the state of resources in newsrooms. That's a separate issue. However, what the Guardian has uncovered has revealed increasingly that there an endemic sicknesses in the establishment linked to certain parts of NI's influence.
-
Hard News: The scandal that keeps on giving, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Diddums. Look, Ashcroft has alleged that The Times tired to hack his phone. (Which The Times and Baldwin have strenuously denied.) Frankly, you may think Ashcroft is a rich prick and you’d want a second opinion if he said fire was hot and water was wet. Fair enough.
But I don’t think it’s Tory spin to note that Ed Milibrand’s anti-Murdoch tirades have probably been lovingly polished by a spin doctor fresh from the more respectable end of the evil empire.
And if (please note the emphasis) Ashcroft is right, and Baldwin – or anyone else at The Times – broke the law, I don’t give a figgy fart how “distinguished” and “dogged” he is. If we actually live in a society under the rule of law, then the law protects everyone. Even folks like Lord Ashcroft and seedy celebutards we enlightened folks don’t like.
I think NewLabour cuddling up to NI is a separate issue and as I said, only the LibDems can feasibly claim their hands are entirely clean on this one. But so far what they’ve accused Baldwin of having done, has proved baseless. Obviously, in the event, something does come out that suggests Baldwin’s behaviour was less than legal, then that’s different, but so far, there’s been no proof, or indeed, suggestion from the police that he has. So again, comparing Coulson to Baldwin is a false equivalence. The Guardian certainly would’ve run hard on Baldwin if knew of any wrongdoing- they haven’t pulled any punches throughout.
Otherwise we should have a go at the Telegraph for effectively buying the materials that blew the expenses scandal wide open after it had been shopped to all of the other broadsheets. As for Ashcroft, his status matters less than the fact that- like many a peer of both stripes (c.f. “Cash for Honours”)- he was less than honest about how he siphoned his donations. Then again, like I said, the Met do find something on Baldwin, then sure, it’s a different game entirely.
Edit to add: I see RB made the same point, more succinctly. Bugger!
-
Hard News: The scandal that keeps on giving, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Absolutely. When Thatcher resigned after the Poll Tax affair, Kinnock tabled plans to de-cartellise the press barons – especially with Murdoch in mind – and the Sun responded with both barrels in the form of the front-page splash, “If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights”, complete with an old hag on p3 to scare readers even further off Kinnock.
Absolutely. Which is why so many writers have quoted that line back at NI this week.
The great "unknown" of British politics of the last 20 years is: what would have a Labour Government under Prime Minister John Smith been like? His death really changed everything. Would we have ever seen NewLabour?
It's really hard to guage how much influence the Murdoch Redtops had in the last election, however- Conservatives only got 32 percent of the vote to Labour's 28 percent, the biggest story was the LibDems holding the balance of power at 22 percent. Since then, the LibDems support has absolutely tanked in the polls (arguably through formerly disaffected Labour voters returning back to their ordinary party-of-choice).
-
Hard News: The scandal that keeps on giving, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
In England? Well, since Ed Miliband has perfect confidence in his own ex-Murdoch spin thing ( The Times in Tom Baldwin’s case) plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
Y'know, I'm with you in the sense that both major parties have danced with the devil (so to speak) over the last couple of decades in order to gain power and/or influence, going right back to Thatcher's open courting of Murdoch (the other most notable being Blair doing the same out of desperation and cynicism- he didn't want to be another Kinnock), but the attack line certain members of the Tory establishment (not you, Craig- as far as I know you're not a member of the UK establishment!) that Milliband employing Tom Baldwin is somehow analogous to Cameron employing Coulson is a stretch, to put it mildly.
Baldwin was a well-regarded, dogged investigative journalist who through dilligent means (and probably yer usual journalistic sleuthing techniques) manage to uncover some rather grubby revelations on how Lord Ashcroft was siphoning his party funds. No one- not even the police- has suggested he's done anything illegal. Coulson, on the other hand, is up to his neck in the hacking scandal and directly implicated. He has actually been arrested. Baldwin? Not so much.
It's actually quite insulting to Baldwin to somehow compare him to Coulson. But if your broader point is about NewLabour's courting of Murdoch, then that's another issue, but the attempt by members of the Conservatives to somehow redirect attention off Coulson and onto Baldwin is at once desperate and cynical (and therefore par for the course in politics, naturally).
As an aside, Vince Cable must be feeling like he's sitting very pretty at the moment.