Comments on: Old Time Music Hall from New Zealand Television News

By: The Conservatives to Follow on Twitter | MorallyRight.org

The Conservatives to Follow on Twitter | MorallyRight.org — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:43:38 +0000

[...] Old Time Music Hall from New Zealand Television News @ Brian … [...]

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:40:27 +0000

I appreciate your response, Brian, and accept your viewpoint. However, for journalists to protect their integrity as the independent carriers of fair, balanced and accurate information, without fear or favour, surely a the ‘disinfectant of daylight’ in the form of up front and open disclosure is the answer? It would be a first, from my recollection.

By: BE

BE — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:46:31 +0000

Brian, equally disturbing, to me, is the hint in John Drinnan’s column that news reporters are moonlighting in PR on the side.

I don’t think unsignposed editorial comment has been bought and paid for. Drinnan is referring to interviewers running media training courses for people they either are or are likely to be interviewing on their programme. That practice is widespread and clearly invites conflict of interest. Former clients of Sean Plunkett told me that they were surprised to find the interviewer was just as tough on them after the training as he had been before. In one sense that’s reassuring, but it indicates that the clients expected to be treated more favourably in view of their ‘special relationship’ with the interviewer.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:06:28 +0000

Brian, equally disturbing, to me, is the hint in John Drinnan’s column that news reporters are moonlighting in PR on the side. Is it possible that the ‘unsignposted editorial comment’ has been bought and paid for? Pecuniary interest disclosure might be an interesting idea.

By: Mark F

Mark F — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:34:19 +0000

Stop watching this cringe-inducing nonsense that they try to pass off as news and get your info/analysis from the internet and what is left of radio NZ. And hope that enough other eyeballs voting in a similar fashion effect the ratings. Forlorn?

By: Rosser

Rosser — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:44:51 +0000

As a former student at the AUT, I remember the lecture from Tom Parkinson very well. In the early 1990s it seemed things were as bad as they could be – now, as you point out, it’s even worse.

IMO one reason things are worse is increasing acceptance of underlying logics of promotion in the media “businesses” – very little can’t be framed so it performs an “advertising” function (as you point to with the weather teasers; another example is cross-promoting a network’s programmes within the news). So what might look like journalism on the surface also acts as a kind of advertisement, even if it gives us some information on the way. The simple idea of providing people with information in and of itself doesn’t get a look in.

By: BE

BE — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:06:29 +0000

and why the obsession with the weather?

That’s a very good question. I’m told that the weather forecast is actually the most watched thing on television. After all, it’s relevant to all of us. That is one of the reasons why it has traditionally been placed at the end of news bulletins – to hold on to the audience beyond the sports section. So this is a pretty clever ploy. You tease the forecast at the start of the bulletin, but without actually giving away what will happen; then you summarise what happened today in the middle of the bulletin and tease again to the actual forecast at the very end. It may drive us all nuts, but they wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work. Cynical eh? Or just clever promotion?

By: bill

bill — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:54:54 +0000

yes, tv news is pretty dire,which is why in common with many people I depend on the print media. old time music hall?beyond that really,approaching pure vaudeville.
a massive bombing in iraq or a lethal ambush in afganistan rates 15 seconds – no context whatsoever – while feelgood stories along the lines of a class of primary schoolchildren in the coromandel nursing a one legged duck back to health rates at least five minutes.
and why the obsession with the weather? most of us only want to know if it will rain tomorrow.instead we get an opening roll of drums before the news even starts, a mid term update on big city temperatures(!)and five more minutes at the end. dumbing down? it has sunk far lower than that. nor should personnel changes surprise us.
after all,in music hall didn”t pretty faces always count for more than substance?

By: BE

BE — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:09:24 +0000

For withering critique of modern TV news and its handling of the Moat gunman tragedy, check out Charlie Brooker at the Guardian…one of the best TV critics in the world (IMHO)

Great stuff. Thanks.

By: simon

simon — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:35:35 +0000

BE says: “… their hosts regularly expressing sorrow that they’ve ‘run out of time’.”

To any politicians reading: you will get my eternal respect, maybe even my vote, if you respond to this irritating (and time-wasting) line, as follows:

“But I have not run out of time. I know that I am accountable to the viewers / voters, and so I am quite happy to stay here and answer more questions. If, dear host, you do not wish to ask any more questions, but prefer to move on to an item about a pet tortoise in Pukekohe who moves its head in and out of its shell in perfect time to a selection of Abba hits, then I can’t stop you. But be aware that I will continue to make decisions which significantly affect New Zealanders’ lives, and if those decisions and the decision-makers are not properly scrutinised, that is your choice, not mine.

Now, what is your next question?”