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The Herald Responds

by Whaleoil on March 1, 2012

The NZ Herald has responded to my letter of complaint about the appalling article concerning Tania Wysocki and the blatant mis-representation by Simon Collins of the true story:

To: Cameron Slater

By email

Dear Cameron,

I refer to your email of February 23.

The article was neither inaccurate nor unfair. It was balanced — indeed, it specifically mentioned the help Tania Wysocki had received from National and Greens MPs.

The prostitution angle of the story that you have complained about — and the fact that Ms Wysocki had advertised herself on a website — was legitimate. The headline accurately reflected the story. The article was not over-dramatised.

Regards,

Shayne Currie

Editor
The New Zealand Herald

What a pathetic and wholly underwhelming response from the nations biggest tabloid. What do my loyal readers think I should do next? Press Council?

Tagged: • • •

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  • ConwayCaptain

    YES

  • Quintin Hogg

    Yes.

  • Bafacu

    Yes

  • Greg M

    Yes, completely unacceptable response from the editor.

  • Gazzaw

    That Murphy has flicked it on to Currie to deal with and his cursory reply reflects their contempt Cameron. Go the the Press Council or this issue will be buried forever. 

  • Blokeintakapuna

    Yes – press council and ASA and any other measure possible!

  • GT

    Yes

  • CJA

    Yes.

  • Mark

    Wow – what a thoroughly in depth response from NZH. I’d definitely take it further.

    • Gazzaw

      Just goes to show that the lack of investigative skills at the Pravda extends right to the top.

  • Steve (North Shore)

    Yes. Sunlight works well

  • jonno1

    Yes – the sheer arrogance of the non-response is mind-blowing, with no reasoned explanation or rebuttal. Shane with a y could have saved space by just writing: ”It’s our paper, eat that”.

  • Beenthere

    Yes, the story lacked balance & was written to support a predetermined view

  • Phar Lap

    After their performance with the “Tea Tapes ” and their web of deceit,their response is an indictment of gutter journalism in the pits of desperation and denial.Go get ‘em.

  • Sooty

    Yes

  • Busman

    Yes – Rule 6 springs to mind

  • grumpy

    Yes

  • Groans

    Yes

  • Shaun Wallis

    Yes

  • Richard B.

    Yes

  • Ciaron_A

    Smoke ‘em!

  • insider

    No – you won’t have a sh*t show. Whether you agree with it or not, Currie is right on the issue of balance. Headlines are there to attract attention and reflect the story, and it did that. Journalists and editors get to pick the angle they want to highlight. Whether that fully represents the situation or the nature of the discussion is not so relevant compared to providing ‘balance’ on the stuff they choose to print. So I’d suggest you are wasting your time.

    A particularly egregious piece that could be worth looking at further was yesterday’s story about Education Ministry CEO ‘fleeing’ Parliament, when all she did was leave and refuse to answer media questions. Media arrogance to expect anyone to answer their questions.

    • politically unstable

       Insider is on the mark…especially that headline yesterday. But what the hell, poke some shit at them as it will make them (MSM) be a little more careful. It is a standard response that they will always dish out – they have to take that position.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OK7Y7PCSTJ27RCKZ2MGRSAYCTE NEIL

      Agree with insider – Press Council? You won’t stand a chance fair and balanced means nothing…

    • http://nowoccupy.blogspot.com/ Monique Watson

      Have to agree with insider. Turns out Wysocki was a sitting duck and didn’t know it. However, because of the abuse of sensationalism, mainstream media as an avenue for real journalism is on the way out and class act bloggers will be the winners.

  • GaryC

    Yes

  • Grandstream

    No surprise – I bet this muppet didnt even read your email – he didnt even acknowledge the labour party (Comrade Cindy) involvement which was at the crux of your complaint ! fuck’em….
    They must be struggling, less adverts, falling subscriptions !

  • joe bloggs

    Currie’s response epitomises why I come to this site for news and current events, and not to Granny Herald’s site

    He’s an arrogant plonker and a gutter churnalist.

    Go for gold with the Press Council

  • SalaciousTCrumb

    YES.

    Dear Mr Curry,

    Freedom of the press does not entail “freedom to mislead, omit or lie”.
    There was once a notion known as journalistic integrity. Perhaps you could demand that from your employees. Or are they too busy trying to tap phone accounts?

    Regards,
    S T Crumb

  • @BoJangles

     Don’t waste your time…

    Give more exposure to the cynicism of comrade Ardern  et al…..

  • Petal

    You’ll just feed the troll Cam.  Any “win” would be meaningless.  If you have the time and energy, then go for it, but personally I’d suggest you ignore this issue and move along.  

    The guy hasn’t got anything he values on the line here.  This isn’t a game worth winning. 

    Perhaps stick him in your Shit File and go after him personally every opportunity you get.  

    Expose his professional life.  His mistakes.  Find his enemies and see what bubbles to the surface.  Nobody gets where he is today without breaking a few people along the way.  And he probably feels he’s “safe from people like you”.

    Then write a series of “well balanced” blog posts to become part of the Google Hive Mind for the rest of his career.

    That way he’ll actually have some skin in the game.  All you have to do is wait – time isn’t the issue here.  I don’t believe media people particularly enjoy having the same techniques applied to them that they so happily apply to others.

  • Euan Rt

    Waste of time. Best you can hope for is a “We have been told to print this….” hidden on the 7th page in the bottom left corner; and who reads those anyway?

  • http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/ Inventory2

    Yes; go for it, even though the chances of success are probably 50/50 at best. But get support from someone influential in the media first, so that your complaint gets maximum publicity

    • Richard B.

      Lucy Lawless, Keisha Castle-Hughes and Robyn Malcolm perhaps?

      • http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/ Inventory2

         Heh; I meant properly influential, not faux celebrities

  • Symgardiner

    I thought it was a good letter if you completely reject that the article was unbalanced. That doesn’t change the fact that the article was just a joke. The NZ Herald needs to be more explicit about the biases of their authors.

  • Grizz30

    yes

  • Fidosoup

    Yes

  • Vij

    Yes

  • STEVE AND MONIQUE

    Go for it.

  • BW_Lord

    Don’t know whether you’ll get anywhere with this, but for fucks sake, if theres no buildup of complaints against this atrocious style of modern journalism then no reform will ever occur.

    It may be just smashing our heads against a wall, but somethings gotta give eventually.

    • Auto_immune

      I agree with BW_Lord.  You probably won’t get anywhere by escalating it, but it should be done on a matter of principle.

  • Bunswalla

    Yes, and while you’re about it, please add a complaint for this loathsome follow-up piece in the Herald on Sunday: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10788043

    Not content with pimping the poor and hanging Ms Wysocki out to dry, this disgraceful rag has further twisted the knife by calling her a “work-shy drone”. Fair and balanced?

    Yeah, right!

  • In Vino Veritas

    Take wise council before deciding.

  • Wychbych

    NZH:

    ‘Dear Cameron

    Fuck you very much for your letter. We know best. It was a brilliant piece of reporting; how dare you impugn us? We read your letter, and decided to do fuckall.

    Yours

    NZH.’

  • Mr_Blobby

    Yes. Note no comment from the resident Trolls.

  • SalaciousTCrumb

    Nah, they’ll be wringing their hands over the poor boy from a troubled upbringing sent down for 10 years, whilst concocting vile diatribes against the National party whom they’ll ultimately hold responsible.

  • thor42

    Yes. Press Council.  

  • Pukakidon

    Dont just give in.   At least take it further which will prove the spinelessness of the whole media and its controlling authorities if they do nothing.

  • Super_Guest

    Indubitably, my good sir.

  • Boss Hogg

    The pathetic response is begging for more action.  I sense that you are hungry for another scalp – I wish you every success !!!

  • jay cee

    a note of caution here. you may have a big following but the herald has a bigger readership,and deeper pockets. you could find that you become the story  

  • guest

    Yes

  • Hagues

    “The headline accurately reflected the story.”

    Shoot are we allowed to lay complaints when their headlines are full of shit and in no way reflect the story?

    This one really pissed me off recently: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10777389

    Headline:NZ linked to nuclear missile test plan

    What the story actually revealled: Australia were linked to a missle test. The involvement of NZ was purely the speculation of the reporter that maybe Muldoon might have known about it even though there was no evidence to support this. Further and more importantly the fact was that “the tests do not involve warheads as such and the missiles will not contain any nuclear material”

  • Philip ure a cock

    Yep, just to annoy them

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