Between 50 - 60 jobs to be axed at TVNZ's news & current affairs section as the broadcaster faces a 15.5% drop in net profit. But if cuts are due to a loss in (advertising?) revenue which is directly linked to declining ratings, then the news-makers have only themselves to blame. TVNZ news is rubbish.
Their political bias gives me indigestion, in particular the revolting adulation of Helen Clark. Previously the press nick-named her "Teflon Helen," because scandals and bad news never sticks to her. Why? Coz the very same journos who coined the term are too cowardly to challenge 9th floor spin, or too clueless to investigate any incriminating leads. John Tamihere, who's seen & worked with her up close, describes her as 'highly emotional' and 'someone who falls to pieces easily'. Yet our hacks ignored him, instead repeating the "strong leader" mantra.
Elsewhere the political news is fluff. E.g. The prime minister goes to Washington & the big scoop is prez Bush complimenting a kiwi journo on his suit. Or a minister makes an unsavoury or unwelcome comment about a journalist. Or an MP is angry at a journalist's slant. Our fat-headed hacks have come to believe that they themselves are the story, not the messenger.
In domestic news the lies du jour are reiterated ad nauseum: the obesity epidemic; global warming; policemen are rapists. These are interspersed with cute & cuddly lifestyle stories better suited to women's mags. Do we care about grandmothers riding Harleys? Or opera singers aspiring to become rock stars? Or some floozy's drink/drug/sex scandal?
Their political bias gives me indigestion, in particular the revolting adulation of Helen Clark. Previously the press nick-named her "Teflon Helen," because scandals and bad news never sticks to her. Why? Coz the very same journos who coined the term are too cowardly to challenge 9th floor spin, or too clueless to investigate any incriminating leads. John Tamihere, who's seen & worked with her up close, describes her as 'highly emotional' and 'someone who falls to pieces easily'. Yet our hacks ignored him, instead repeating the "strong leader" mantra.
Elsewhere the political news is fluff. E.g. The prime minister goes to Washington & the big scoop is prez Bush complimenting a kiwi journo on his suit. Or a minister makes an unsavoury or unwelcome comment about a journalist. Or an MP is angry at a journalist's slant. Our fat-headed hacks have come to believe that they themselves are the story, not the messenger.
In domestic news the lies du jour are reiterated ad nauseum: the obesity epidemic; global warming; policemen are rapists. These are interspersed with cute & cuddly lifestyle stories better suited to women's mags. Do we care about grandmothers riding Harleys? Or opera singers aspiring to become rock stars? Or some floozy's drink/drug/sex scandal?
Our imported international news clips are equally as vacuous. We know that "Bush is Bad" because CNN, ABC, NBC and other lefty American outfits keep telling us. We know that "America is Bad" because the BBC keeps telling us. And we need to keep flushing our taxpayers dollars down 3rd-world toilets because the U.N. keeps telling us.
If the news content is bad, the presentation is abysmal. In an hour's broadcast, you'd think every second is vital. But so much time is wasted on:
If the news content is bad, the presentation is abysmal. In an hour's broadcast, you'd think every second is vital. But so much time is wasted on:
* Promos for upcoming news segments, reports or TV programmes.
* An anchor summarising the bulletin then cutting to a reporter who repeats the same info.
* Interviewing non-entities on the street. Asking random strangers such pearls as: "How would you defrost a giant squid?"
* Overuse of contrived puns and word plays to introduce or wrap-up stories.
* Reporters telling us their names and TV network. We already know this; we can read your name and the everpresent TV logo.
* Chummy, contrived chit-chat between anchors.
Face it, the news is near plain unwatchable. So TVNZ can fire their entire news crews for all I care. For info & gossip I'd rather read bloggers who are at least honest about their quirks & biases.
3 comments:
That's why I get my news from the Internet or radio...TV news has to be taken with a grain of salt.
Of course a lot of Internet new sites are a little dodgy...or politically biased. Who cares, they're all polemical, my preference is right-wing conservative...so there!
Hi piripi, nice blog.
I agree with your comments re TVNZ, one small light of dissent has been paul henry's irreverent piss taking of Clarke and her team with special mocking reserved of late for punchy Mallard. Unfortunately Clarkes reshuffle has seen mallard given Broadcasting and an immediate gagging of Henry has resulted. His interview with Clarke on Monday morning was in start contrast to his usual sarcastic efforts. In fact it could have graced the pages of womens weekly it was so saccharine. .
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