An Australian medical expert has slammed the New Zealand Herald, accusing it of publishing a delayed and inadequate account of COVID-19 vaccine risks to teenagers years after key warnings emerged.
In a strongly worded Substack post, Dr. Ian Brighthope describes the legacy media outlet’s recent reporting (paywalled) as a “belated”, “pathetic” and “toothless” summary that fails to hold decision-makers to account. He argues the outlet had ample opportunity during 2021 and 2022 to scrutinise government policy but instead only revisited the issue in 2026, long after the most contentious decisions were made.
“The Herald didn’t “expose” a “significant failing”, wrote Brighthope, “…it was part of the machine that normalised coercion, cheered the jab rates, and demonised anyone who called the risks what they were: predictable, unnecessary harm to healthy teenagers for zero community benefit. This piece is the journalistic equivalent of showing up to a murder scene years later to politely note that the knife was sharp. Pathetic. Condemnable. Complicit.”
His criticism targeted both the timing and tone of the coverage, claiming it relied heavily on official explanations while avoiding stronger scrutiny of those responsible for vaccine mandate settings affecting young people. Brighthope alleges that earlier warnings about myocarditis risks were known within advisory circles but were not meaningfully pursued in legacy mainstream media reporting at the time.
He further contends the Herald’s retrospective framing presents the issue as a policy misstep rather than a serious and negligent failure of oversight, arguing this softens accountability for political leaders and health authorities involved in the rollout.
“This is not reporting; it’s a delayed obituary for accountability, designed to let every perpetrator walk away with their pensions, reputations, and freedom intact”, wrote Brighthope.
Brighthope also pointed to findings from the Royal Commission of Inquiry, which acknowledged gaps in monitoring and impacts on some individuals, but stops short of assigning direct blame. He argued this lacklustre response, including legacy media coverage, reflects a pattern of delayed scrutiny rather than real-time accountability.
100% !! It was a pathetic attempt to gain some credibility after being a key (and fully paid courtesy of the taxpayer funded PJIF) player in the propaganda machine to coerce kiwis into taking the clot shots. Never forget! NEVER TRUST OR READ THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA AGAIN!!
As WHO originally stated at the beginning masks were useless & the young are not affected..Not long after it was reported on numerous content creators the elderly or very sick would be at risk which was bearing out of the UK & elsewhere..The flu virus has been with us for how many years now & do we lock down,wear masks or get vac’d every year = no. So why the panic & why did our govt lie when the advice was opposite of what they did inc the media.Bloody shameful
Because they were bribed, they are corrupt they took money over peoples lives. Nothing, absolutely nothing has changed from those days to this day.
It gets me that people actually read either NZ Herald and especially Stuff!! To be honest why should I even care as those people are too far gone and will never learn anything.
Agree, those people who read that trash are happliy getting their booster. Now seeking reasons why they keep getting sick.
Why has NZs all cause mortality gone up 15%, and stayed that way since jabs and covid in the community?
People say they are now the victim, when in reality, they had the information availiable to make an informed decision.
Instead they chose to believe the “Expert” opinion. And that was all it was, an opinion. Debatable, if the people had expertice, aka Siouxsie Wiles, Baker.
I recall at the time discussing with a friend, who works in education. Her, reasoning is that far smater people than myself, knew what was best. She was so proud that Jacinda’s mob had secured for her the Pfizer jab. She boasted, saying teachers have prority injection, you know getting the good stuff. Now she suffers ailement after ailement. Looks like she has aged 20 years. Decided not to have boosters, becaise she now feels she’s had enough. When I see her, she complains about her health situation. I always suggest, maybe she needs a booster. The look on her face, priceless!
They got what they wanted.
Yip, it’s infuriating beyond words that people who took MRNA jabs so they could get free Big Macs are allowed to vote
MSM are peddlers of government approved propaganda and little more. Great commentary from one of the few honest medical people still remaining. Shame Australia is every bit as bad, if not worse than NZ. Just look at the case of that poor woman in Melbourne denied life saving care recently because she refused the jab. Sick, sad world we live in run by abject villains.
That’s way too kind of a description.
With thejr propaganda, lies and omissions, the legacy media can only be described as accomplices to the covid collusion crime.
There’s nothing worth paying for in the Herald which is a shame, it used to be a readable newspaper – but that was a long time ago.
The Herald isnt fit to wipe my butt with fake news fake journalists havent read it for years shut it down its outdated in todays world dont need its propaganda now with new media platforms
Crumbs. We’re supposed to be pathetically grateful for crumbs. Stale crumbs.
I’d like to think that Cheng’s journalistic heart is nearly in the right place and his editor embellished the piece to market it as an exclusive…but too little too late, and young people died or their hearts are permanently impaired.
A plague on them and their stenographers.
Never, ever forgive. Never, ever forget.
And you can’t speak to any of the vaccinated of whats been done to them in the name of the Bill Gates and Epstein running the Mass Holocaust with the W,H,O etc all premeditated for the self interest World domination not to Mention the taboo word most if not all are Jewish decendents all i get told is I’m and everyone is no who is not Vaccinated is a delusional Nasty Good for nothing Conspiracy Theorists Peace of 💩🤔
At this years election public get togethers, people like Hipkins need to be reminded of their manslaughter lying. Bottom line is fess up or get out.
The podium of lies needs to be brought to its knees.