The MSM considers it has the insider low-down on information and, on the Government’s behalf, automatically brands sources it doesn’t agree with as either dis-, mis- or mal-information – the triplets of trouble.
It is a sorry mess we currently find ourselves in: of dangerous leadership and distorted vision, of loss of freedoms, along with mandated job and business compliance, mandatory vaccination, immunity passports, from all of which the government has exempted itself and its employees.
The government-compliant MSM have all manner of ‘experts’ who pop up like human whack-a-moles, accusing us of following conspiracy theories.
“Disinformation expert Kate Hannah talks with Justin Giovannetti and The Bulletin about new research that shows Covid-19 conspiracy theories and violent imagery are spreading fast in New Zealand. Who might be behind the spreading?
Much of the disinformation swirls around a perceived lack of vaccine safety and, conversely, calls to use unrelated drugs to treat or prevent Covid-19. However, much of the online conversation also branches off into other directions, often related to American conspiracy theorists like QAnon.
According to Hannah, some of the movement today is based on those groups, along with a helping of white supremacy, fascism and misogyny.
Nicky Hager writes in The Spinoff today about being troubled by good, principled people who joined a “fascist protest” at parliament.”
The Spinoff
Along with the term “anti-vaxxers”, “Fascist” is another MSM favoured term of disgrace.
I am unsure how one becomes qualified as a “dis-information expert” but it is clear such a qualification comes with a lexicon of inflammatory and inciting language as descriptors for those of us who dare question the Government’s position on all things concerning this dictatorship.
“Kate Hannah has a Master of Arts (2004) from Waikato University in 19th Century American Literary Culture. Her principal research area is the historiography of the history of science, with a focus on the cultures and subcultures of science, gender in science history, and narrative and complexity. Kate holds more than one role at Te Punaha Matatini, a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence for complex systems and networks. Basically she is a historian in a physics department.”
This is the “dis-information expert”.
“Dissent, threats and fury: mood darkens in New Zealand as Covid restrictions bite. The country has seen a rapid uptick in protests and online disinformation, tinged with far-right undertones.”
theguardian.com
Tess McClure reported in The Guardian that “vaccine mandate protests in New Zealand have seen odd blends of factions and allegiances”. This was written underneath an image of peaceful protesters, several leaning casually against a railing, one holding a sign: “When We Trade Freedom for Safety We Lose Both”. Another image in the same article showed a sign that read, “Ur Body Does Not Belong to Ur Employer School or Government“. It is hardly the stuff of riots and violence. And neither is it mis-, dis- or mal-information. It is the truth. The truth published under a banner headline that reads, “dissent, threats and fury“.
Groundswell has requested an apology from senior government minister, Stuart Nash for his “totally wrong” suggestion that they’re “anti-vaxxers” and “racists“. He refuses to apologise, and his boss Jacinda Ardern sees no reason for him to do so.
Chris Hipkins has added fuel to the fire. Hipkins is trying to paint anti-mandate, anti-certificate, pro-freedom Kiwis as “white supremacists“. I’ve been to the protests and one thing you can say for sure is that the crowds are diverse: Pakeha, Maori, Pacifica, Asian (young and old) – and guess what? No one mentions race!
Last year Chris Hipkins asked, “for people to think twice before sharing information that can’t be verified”. Verified by whom exactly? This naturally leads to the question, how is censorship being applied to Covid-19 information?
A Press Release on 18 October 2021 from Amnesty International announced a new report that outlines how governments are using legislation to silence journalists and media outlets.
Silenced and Misinformed: Freedom of Expression in Danger During Covid-19 outlines “how the pandemic has provided dangerous conditions whereby governments can introduce new legislation to shut down independent reporting, as well as attack people who have been critical or even attempted to investigate their government’s response to the virus.”
“Rajat Khosla, Amnesty International’s senior director for research advocacy and policy, said:
“Throughout the pandemic, governments have launched an unprecedented attack on freedom of expression, severely curtailing peoples’ rights. Communication channels have been targeted, social media has been censored, and media outlets have been closed down – all of which are having a dire impact of the public’s ability to access vital information about how to deal with Covid-19.”
“In the midst of a pandemic, journalists and health professionals have been silenced and imprisoned. Consequently, people have been unable to access information about Covid-19, including how to protect themselves and their communities. Approximately five million people have lost their lives to Covid-19, and lack of information will have likely been a contributory factor.”
Rajat Khosla added:
“It’s clear Covid-19 related restrictions on freedom of expression are not just time-bound, extraordinary measures to deal with a temporary crisis. They are part of an onslaught on human rights that has been taking place globally in the last few years – and governments have found another excuse to ramp up their attack on civil society.
“Restricting freedom of expression is dangerous and must not become the new normal. Governments must urgently lift such restrictions and guarantee the free flow of information to protect the public’s right to health.”
Last year Adrian Shahbaz and Allie Funk wrote:
“Governments are using the pandemic as a pretext to crack down on free expression and access to information.”
“In at least 20 countries, governments cited the pandemic emergency to impose additional vague or overly broad speech restrictions. The measures most often criminalized the spread of “false” information or content that could damage “public order.” By passing new laws and arresting individuals for nonviolent speech, leaders attempted to control narratives about the virus’s spread, the government’s performance, and the negative social and economic implications of lockdowns.”
freedomhouse.org
Here in New Zealand we have a compliant MSM funded by a duplicitous government who are (for now) choosing to use the carrot rather than the stick. How long will it be before they try to apply the stick to independent media who refuse to toe the party line?
