Spineless leadership at the helm of our largest media outfit makes all Kiwis poorer, not least NZME shareholders.
NZME should get back to the business of offering world class media, with advertising options included for all legal adverts, not picking and choosing which opinions deserve a hearing, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union.
“NZME happily offered an advertising package to Hobson’s Pledge, signed off on the ads, and submitted their invoice for payment. A few would-be-censors bang their intolerance drum, and the Board and management get spooked. This sort of weakness is entirely part of why public trust in the media continues to plummet, and political discourse is more and more polarised.
“NZME is a publicly-listed private company. They ultimately have the right to reject this advertising. But they deserve strong criticism for this decision, and it’s not surprising that shareholders raise questions as to why good money is being rejected on ideological grounds.
“Bad ideas are beaten with better ideas, not censorial grandstanding. Of course, it is appropriate that advertorial material meet legal standards. But that’s not the question here. Opponents of Hobson’s Pledge should challenge the ad with the Advertising Standard’s Authority, not contest NZME’s right and interest in running advertorial content.
“Large media outlets like NZME are prone to complain endlessly about the unsustainability of the media ecosystem, and how social media is stealing their advertising revenue. NZME should stand up to political toy-throwing and simply offer the same advertising package to those who would express opposite views. Such contests of ideas belong in full view of the public, not hidden in the back offices of NZME.”
Don Brash on the Reaction to Hobson’s Pledge’s NZ Herald Advertisement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmcoEzHq-lM
Check out other pertinent videos
Here one can support the Hobson’s Pledge signature list.
https://www.saveourshores.nz/
Pass it on.
So Amanda Bush sent the email to Hobson’s Pledge to cancel any further adverts, either way the NZ Herald was and is nothing better than a student rag mag. Both the Herald and Stuff are on a rocky road and I relish the day they both go bust. They are not at all independent press end of story.
with you 100%. Any “world Class” Herald ever had is long gone
Nz Harold is leftist fake news crap. Wouldn’t even use it for toilet paper
Quite right. The Herald reminds me of old Government issue bog bumph.
Everyone’s terrified of the woke (for some unapparent reason).
Backbone is in short supply these days.
I gave up on the MSM, including the likes of Stuff, One Views and The Herald A LONG TIME AGO…..
FSU you should really be looking at alternative platforms, maybe X to get your message across or possibly billboards (assuming they don’t meet the same fate VFF style) or flyers for peoples letter boxes?
Interesting – as now; not even bothering to look at NZ Herald or Stuff – just do the daily check here at the Daily Telegraph.
TVNZ is only good to see what they plan to feed us all for the week.
One story that hasn’t been talked about by anyone is the Douglas Mac Gregor claim that 70 special forces were killed in Yemen. https://youtu.be/cZN5-klkz0k?si=pTFfqOJUPBUcx-8L
Bye bye NZ Herald. You showed some signs of deviating from your leftist sell-out (let’s never forget you sucked on the PIJFund like a vampire on blood!) due to changing political imperatives but ohhhh nooo….cannot upset the Taniwha. It might not forgive your treachery when corrupt brownies take over management of the late great empire of Aotearoa. Do so hope you go bankrupt between now and that goal post, do not go up, straight to the eternal fire you sinners.
And just as I briefly contemplated buying it again after a 4 year hiatus due to the 95% vaccination BS……….thats a big NO.
Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face!
We need to start a petition to stop all government funding of this facist outfit.
While we are at it, all government funding needs to be stopped to Waatea News which is run by the John Tamihere of the Maori party.
So tired of the corruption and the one sided media. Starve them all of attention and make them close down.
The “Woke” are a fringe minority with a loud voice. Many corporations have fallen for the bluff, alienating the majority. Without the majority you go broke. DUH….
The people who sold you covid
And Christchurch
Who made it all possible
Shadow of the beast
Jonathan Ayling might be interested in the following comment to a recent letter titled “Hobson’s Pledge promotes fear”, in the Gisborne Herald.
A group of lawyers, legal academics and organisations aligned to or affiliated with the legal profession has spoken out against the front page Hobson’s Pledge Ad placed last week in the NZ Herald.
Here’s the text of the statement:
The Hobson’s Pledge ad in The Herald on 7 August in relation to customary marine titles is likely to mislead, deceive or confuse consumers both explicitly and by implication, ambiguity, exaggeration and false representation. It is also likely to also fuel racism against Māori.
Hobson’s Pledge are entitled to a ‘robust expression of opinion’ but are not entitled to mislead and deceive consumers and, in our view, The Herald should have known, or investigated, whether the information was misleading or deceptive before the advertisement was published.
First, the advertisement calls for the “restoration” of the foreshore to public ownership. The foreshore has never historically been in public ownership: it is not owned by anybody, except for the areas of the foreshore that are currently in (mainly non-Māori) private ownership.
Second, the ad implies, on the front page, that “customary marine titles” give iwi, hapū and/or whānau the right to own parts of the foreshore. This is not true.
On the contrary, the legislation’s effective extinguishment of Māori property interests in the foreshore has been found to breach their human rights by UN human rights bodies that oversee New Zealand’s human rights compliance.
Third, the ad implies that “customary marine title” will prevent NZers from accessing beaches, including to fish, to swim and to enjoy our coastal environment. This is not true. The legislation enabling the award of customary marine titles secures public access to the foreshore.
Fourth, contrary to the impression created by the advertisement, there are very hard legal tests to be met before a wāhi tapu (including a rāhui) will be recognised.
Moreover, wāhi tapu are subject to statutory restrictions, and cannot, for example, prevent fishers from taking their lawful entitlement in a quota or fisheries management area.
Finally, in the light of the division and racism against Māori that resulted from the foreshore and seabed issue in the mid-2000s, we find the attempt to reignite that division and discrimination abhorrent.
Signatories include the Māori Law Society, the Auckland Women Law Association, legal academics and lawyers – from King’s Counsel, partners and barristers to junior associates, in-house lawyers and non-practising lawyers.
Thank you, that is interesting.
So why would the mentioned entities sign that pledge?
Are THEY interested in division?
Has The Pledge been infiltrated to create a platform?
And lawyers on BOTH sides?
Lawyers ALWAYS win, anyways, on any case.
And lawyers are NOT bound by their clients. They are bound by the BAR.
And NOT justice.
I took the time to email the NZH to call them out on their cowardice. Anyone who has the time to post a comment here should also be able to find the time to email the NZH. Government funding for such publications should be withdrawn immediately.
Hobsons Pledge had a factually correct advert. Your comments is disinformation.