On August 8th Cam wrote an article entitled $137.5m to Get 36 Million Page Views. As Cam pointed out, that sounds impressive but The BFD got 33 million on their own last year. And the mind-blowing difference is, the mainstream media (MSM) got theirs at the taxpayers’ expense from the government-supplied rort otherwise known as the Public Journalism Fund.
Cam tells us that it amounts to $3.82 per page view. Compare that to The BFD which got 33 million views without using a cent of taxpayer’s money.
NZ On Air evidently think that it’s money well spent. No it isn’t.
If The BFD were paid $3.82 per page view it would have grossed $127.6 million dollars last year.
The question that has to be asked is this: how is spending $137.5 million to get just three million more views than a privately, professionally run organisation with zero promotional budget, good use of your and my tax dollars?
It patently is not. It is our money being used by the government to ensure whatever independence the MSM had was lost. The fact the MSM took it tells you a lot about them.
This was no ‘spray and walk away’ arrangement. No siree. This was given with strings attached. This was akin to an insurance policy that the only narrative published or broadcast was the government one.
The fact the MSM didn’t feel any guilt or wrongdoing was because the bias the government was asking for was largely already there. Even if that is the case the MSM should still be hanging their heads in shame. Other countries around the world that have government-controlled media are all run by dictators. They are not democracies.
That the MSM have happily allowed themselves to be prostituted in this way is nothing short of disgraceful.
What this ultimately leads to is gutter journalism from newsrooms full of leftie socialists parading as so-called professional journalists. Give me a break. This unacceptable behaviour was around, though not to the same extent, forty years ago. I witnessed it. What makes it worse now is the sight of them being so easily and blatantly bought off. It lends credence to the old saying that ‘money is the root of all evil’.
We should be grateful for a media site that prides itself on a level of professionalism. The BFD is like a breath of fresh air in a media landscape mired in bias and misinformation.
The BFD is home to a wide range of intelligent discourse. Opinions are expressed, sometimes aggressively but never with intended malice. The articles are written by people with expertise in certain areas or by people capable of constructing an article that makes it worth reading.
It is no surprise that The BFD on its own is close to surpassing the MSM when it comes to the number of page views.
People come to The BFD to read and be entertained by content which is of a far higher standard than that of the MSM. Readers of The BFD want to be able to take part in intelligent discussions in a thoughtful and meaningful way. This is where The BFD completely outshines the MSM.
Cam and Juana are to be profoundly congratulated for having the courage and foresight to not only establish The BFD but also, on the smell of an oily rag, turn it into something so successful that it is nipping at the heels of the MSM.
A vote of thanks is also owed to the large BFD team who assist in running or contributing to The BFD. Everyone, including commenters who all make up the rich tapestry that is The BFD, deserves our congratulations.
May The BFD go from strength to strength. May it continue to outclass the MSM in the standard of content it provides. May the hard work put in by all those involved, including those who helped to give The BFD its 33 million page views, be rewarded by The BFD continuing to increase in popularity.
WELL DONE CAM AND JUANA!! YOU ARE HEROES TO ALL OF US HERE!!
