Call me old fashioned, but I like my sport to be played fair and on an even field. In fact there’s nothing worse than a game where the ref fails to umpire properly and one team is flouting the damn rules.
The same goes for politics. If journalists don’t do their jobs properly, politics becomes a complete shit show! That’s because without politicians being held to account they can pretty much get away with doing and saying whatever they want with impunity. In this regard biased reporting puts the entire political system and our democracy at risk. After all, a misinformed population cannot be expected to vote for or act in their own best interests.
Like previous years, the need for independent oversight and scrutiny from the press has never been greater. But unfortunately 2019 hasn’t seen any increase in balanced reporting. Instead, so-called journalists have again attempted to mislead the public into believing falsehoods with numerous examples of prejudiced and downright dishonest reporting often being the norm not the exception.
A good example of this was displayed when The Spinoff claimed in September that the Labour Party had attempted a cover-up of an alleged serious sexual assault, a claim that turned out to be entirely untrue.
On 18 Dec, Radio NZ reported:
On Dec 19, The Daily Blog reported:
Pathetically The Spinoff hasn’t bothered to respond to Bomber Bradbury's post. Likewise, the Dew report confirming that the Labour Party wasn’t informed of the alleged serious sexual assault hasn’t resulted in any retractions of the lies that The Spinoff published.
Such unwarranted silence is in stark contrast to their previous vociferous attention seeking. Without a second thought for those who might be impacted, opinionated hacks like Andrea Vance, Tova O'Brien, Toby Manhire and Alex Casey loudly beat their war drums for Labour Party resignations like a bunch of crazed zealots! Too invested in their own false narratives to properly contemplate just how prejudiced their misinformed reckons were, these “journalists” lacked impartiality on a scale never before seen in our faltering fourth estate.
Even now, after an extensive investigation and comprehensive report showed their accusations were false, some journalists still claim Labour mishandled the serious sexual assault complaint, which according to them is the reason party president Nigel Haworth resigned. Apparently the MSM still view Haworth as insignificant collateral damage not worth a second thought or upholding things like journalistic integrity over. God forbid they actually apologise to him for their numerous incorrect accusations that destroyed his previously unmarred career as the Labour Party president.
The investigation clearly shows that Haworth hadn't failed in his duty to the Labour Party or the alleged victims. Instead Haworth resigned because he admirably didn’t want to see his party mired in a relentless, vindictive and unfounded smear campaign orchestrated by unprofessional journalists whose attack articles lacked any semblance of objectivity.
The same goes for politics. If journalists don’t do their jobs properly, politics becomes a complete shit show! That’s because without politicians being held to account they can pretty much get away with doing and saying whatever they want with impunity. In this regard biased reporting puts the entire political system and our democracy at risk. After all, a misinformed population cannot be expected to vote for or act in their own best interests.
Like previous years, the need for independent oversight and scrutiny from the press has never been greater. But unfortunately 2019 hasn’t seen any increase in balanced reporting. Instead, so-called journalists have again attempted to mislead the public into believing falsehoods with numerous examples of prejudiced and downright dishonest reporting often being the norm not the exception.
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| Toby Manhire - freelance writer and editor of The Spinoff |
A good example of this was displayed when The Spinoff claimed in September that the Labour Party had attempted a cover-up of an alleged serious sexual assault, a claim that turned out to be entirely untrue.
On 18 Dec, Radio NZ reported:
Sexual assault allegations against ex-Labour staffer 'not established'
As part of her inquiry, Ms Dew conducted several interviews and considered 28,000 Facebook and text messages between the complainants, the respondent and others.
There was a "a serious allegation of sexual harassment" made against one of the Labour Party volunteers at his home, along with other allegations of sexual harassment made by the complainant and two other female complainants.
"The most serious allegations, those of sexual assault, were not established," the report said.
"The assault is alleged to have occurred in February 2018 at the respondent's home. However, there is insufficient evidence that the events occurred as alleged by Ms 1, at any time during February 2018.
"Her evidence was incorrect in several critical respects in relation to the events of that evening."
The report also revealed the two people had been in a "consensual personal relationship" for some eight months by February 2018.
On Dec 19, The Daily Blog reported:
TDB 2019 Media Awards - Worst Journalism 2019
The Spinoff published a damning one sided expose hit job alleging serious sexual assault, this led to feminist journalists and right wing Pundits to declare that not only must Jacinda have known about this sexual assault, but that she actively covered it up as well.
It was a vicious character assassination against Jacinda based on nothing more than woke mantra and rumour.
A real good old fashioned witch trial.
When this erupted in the media, huge pressure went on Labour to cauterise this wound and Nigel Haworth lost his job and a review immediately called. To confuse matters, Simon Mitchell, Lawyer and Labour Party uber insider swore that the claimant had never sent the documents she claimed she did.
Pathetically The Spinoff hasn’t bothered to respond to Bomber Bradbury's post. Likewise, the Dew report confirming that the Labour Party wasn’t informed of the alleged serious sexual assault hasn’t resulted in any retractions of the lies that The Spinoff published.
 |
| Alex Casey - Senior Writer at The Spinoff |
Even now, after an extensive investigation and comprehensive report showed their accusations were false, some journalists still claim Labour mishandled the serious sexual assault complaint, which according to them is the reason party president Nigel Haworth resigned. Apparently the MSM still view Haworth as insignificant collateral damage not worth a second thought or upholding things like journalistic integrity over. God forbid they actually apologise to him for their numerous incorrect accusations that destroyed his previously unmarred career as the Labour Party president.
The investigation clearly shows that Haworth hadn't failed in his duty to the Labour Party or the alleged victims. Instead Haworth resigned because he admirably didn’t want to see his party mired in a relentless, vindictive and unfounded smear campaign orchestrated by unprofessional journalists whose attack articles lacked any semblance of objectivity.
