newsletter #59 for Monday, January 29th, 2024

3 min read

Wildly different treatment of Golriz Ghahraman versus Sam Uffindell

Many media pundits say that accused Green Party shoplifter Ghahraman is the victim and call for empathy and understanding. In contrast, a 38-year-old potential National MP was pilloried for participating in an assault at school when he was 16. Is there a double standard with the media searching for moral mitigation in the Golriz case?

3 min read

Herald “fact” based opinion article  looks like obvious “fiction” to us

Lou Wickham, representing Emission Impossible, is urging reconsideration of the clean car discount. She asserts vehicle emissions in NZ cause thousands of deaths, hospitalizations and over $10 billion in other costs, yearly. We believe these cited figures are unrealistically high. More like Mission Impossible to try to quantify.

A draft form of this article was prematurely published last week. The corrected version is now available for your review.

3 min read

Piha’s mysterious legacy

“Black Coast Vanishings” is a documentary series examining disappearances at Piha beach over 25 years, raising concerns of a serial killer.

Yet, Piha’s mysteries date back further leaving questions of murder and suicide unanswered. Like a fatal bach fire, a communist leader’s vanishing, and the suspicious death of French engineer Jean Venot.

3 min read

Is the mainstream media aiding and abetting an increase in racial tension?

Media amplification and failure to fact-check Wikitana Popata’s claims the government wants to ‘abolish’ the Treaty may escalate tensions. Current media reports conveniently omit Popata’s history of political activism, violence and extreme rhetoric. Substantiating information regarding a sensitive topic like the Treaty is central to journalistic integrity. The long running charitable Doubtless BayFishing Classic is entangled in the politicised “Treaty War”.