Freedom of Speech Is Worthless without a Right to Be Heard

New Conservative Co-leader
Ted Johnston

“Freedom of speech is worthless without a right to be heard.”  Says Ted Johnston Co-leader of New Conservative.

The large media organisations turning a blind eye to the minor parties helps prevent the proper functioning of New Zealand’s democracy.

The public in a modern democratic society relies upon the media to inform them about candidates, parties and policies so they are able to make informed decisions.  And the media has a duty to fairly and reasonably inform the public. The larger the media outlet the greater the need for fairness.

While very few of the news-media organisations give coverage to smaller but significant political parties, the major media, such as Radio NZ and TVNZ, NZ Herald unfairly ignore them.

This is a fundamental failure undermining the integrity of our New Zealand democracy.

It answers the old philosophical question, “ If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?”

Politically the answer is NO.

The best message in the world is pointless if no one hears.

Lazy, incompetent, disinterested or biased political coverage means we know almost nothing about many political parties’ views, policies and vision.

We are regaled with stories of the press favourites and the leaders of the major parties, turning them into human interest stories, not politics. We know more about the hairstyles and clothing and pets of major party leaders than the policies of many others. The media present much of the political news as if they were fashion magazines, or Public Relations teams for their favourites.

The people want new ideas and options, but the media by exclusion prevents the public from knowing anything about credible parties and their leadership.

This occurs not only in general elections but also local body elections. All candidates should stand up and demand a minimum fair degree of coverage, not the media deciding the elections, who their favourites are and then only feed in that ‘ propaganda ‘ to the public. The rest are all ignored.

Effectively the mainstream, media fixes the elections.

Freedom of speech is of little value if there is no right to be heard.

Suppression is not just by jackboots or police, suppression by exclusion is just as effective.

How do you suppress a religion or political movement? By preventing it spreading its message.

If the voices of political parties cannot be heard, what hope is there for the voice, the wants, the needs of the people. If the voices of middle NZ cannot be heard, what hope is there for the disadvantaged in society?

This problem is worsened by the Labour government’s Covid payments of over $105 Million dollars to the media. Then drip feeding payments right up to the 2023 election.

Has their reporting been affected by their need for funding? Are they concerned they won’t be paid if they provide unfavourable views of the government?

Has the media gone from eating out of the PM’s hands, to feeding at the government trough?

Then the repressive Broadcasting Act 1989, is used to prevent political party advertising on the radio or tv media outside the 3 month election period. To do so is an offence with a $100,000 penalty.

During the election period, public funding is provided. However, so little money is provided to the minor parties that it is impossible to inform the public of their policies and values. Most smaller parties can not even afford a tv advertisement for 2 minutes of prime tv time.

And the smaller parties cannot even pay for more advertising. Again a $100,000 fine.

So the Broadcasting Act prevents smaller parties from any fair opportunity to present their policies.

This may be ok in a fascist or communist state however it is completely unacceptable in a free democracy.

And it is a further scam that the two big parties, Labour and National both get about $1.3 million of public funds to pay for their political propaganda, while at the same time getting all the free coverage of interviews and campaign trail reporting.

To ensure the people hear the minor parties and are able to make an informed choice, the cap on spending needs to be removed, and Labour and National should pay their own bills.