Without the necessary analysis of government ownership of media, the answer is probably ‘yes and no’. There are pros and cons. How they play out very much depends on the guidelines put in place by the government of the day. Other questions come into play. Should there be a level of independence? How much influence should the government exert on day-to-day operational matters? To what degree should the government set the preferred direction it would like its media-owned outlets to take? The outgoing government was a disgrace in all these respects.
These questions are all pretty contentious, particularly from the media standpoint. How should they be determined? Is there a way of achieving this that takes the dissension out of the discussion? All these questions relate to the area of news and current affairs, the politicisation of it and the resultant apparent bias seen, heard or read. Both the government and the media have a part to play in ensuring news and current affairs programmes are presented objectively and without perceived bias.
Surveys regarding trust in news are carried out by the AUT Research Centre For Journalism, Media and Democracy. In the most recent survey it was found that trust in the media has declined 11 per cent between 2020 and this year, from 53 to 42 per cent. There were some interesting results. Trust, out of 10, saw RNZ, TVNZ and the Otago Daily Times top the list, each with a score of 5.3.
Even more interesting were the reasons why people didn’t trust the news:
82% said the reporting in the news is biased and not balanced.
80% said news is too much a result of the political leaning of the newsroom.
73% said the news is too opinionated and lacks factual information.
62% said there is a lack of transparency in the way the news media operate.
61% said government support for the media means journalists can’t be trusted.
There were other reasons but those topped the list. Who would disagree with the findings? The point of the above results is that while RNZ and TVNZ are the most trusted for news, they are not absolved from the criticisms made in the survey. They are probably the most at fault. RNZ was nicknamed Red Radio by many for a reason. I think many hold the view they are most trusted simply because they are government-owned. This is indeed a fallacy.
TVNZ’s One News is difficult to watch if one wants objectivity, and their Breakfast programme is a total turnoff. It’s so far left I’m surprised the right-hand side of the screen isn’t blank or simply transmitting the test pattern. The so-called ‘professionals’ on it do nothing to enhance the viewer experience and the most recent addition to the bunch of lefties has so far had to make two apologies for her errant behaviour.
It must be remembered that we the taxpayers are funding this rubbish. TVNZ is supposed to return a yearly dividend to the government but has not done so since 2020/21. Last Friday the Business Desk reported a 78 per cent drop in its profit. So the question I ask is what is the point of the government owning it, at least in its present form? We, through our taxes, are completely funding RNZ and getting nothing in return from TVNZ. The incoming government must either dispense with television ownership or change its modus operandi.
My thoughts are that TV One should become a fully-fledged News and Current Affairs channel along the lines of Sky News Australia. It could still have an element of advertising. Competent presenters would have to be found to replace the current bunch, who are an insult to the average person’s intelligence. This country is starved of decent programming aimed at those with even a modicum of intellect. Having a small population base means only the government can provide this type of service.
Regarding TV Two there are two options in my view. Either sell it, or it becomes the cash cow whereby the advertising rates are increased as instead of two channels fighting over the lowest common denominator audience, there would only be one. TVNZ has other channels such as Plus One and Duke where entertainment programmes can be placed.
In the case of RNZ its raison d’être is much more clearly defined. It is a non-commercial government entity that exists to provide a public service. I have looked at its Statement of Intent, and while there are a lot of nice words about its intentions and how they will be fulfilled, nowhere does it specifically state that news is to be presented factually and objectively free of bias.
Government-owned media around the world are increasingly showing a left bias; some are doing it deliberately, such as the BBC refusing to call Hamas a terrorist organisation. The ABC in Australia is vehemently to the left and RNZ is in danger of increasingly becoming the left-wing voice of the State. This must be stopped, and it is up to the incoming National Government to take a long hard look at how both RNZ and TVNZ currently operate. One piece of advice though: don’t ask the birdbrain Willie Jackson. It simply won’t work.
On balance, there is a place for government-owned media providing it fulfils the role it was put there to fill. I don’t think government should overly interfere in operational matters, but it needs to ensure that political bias in News and Current Affairs programming is not part of the agenda. Journalists working in either organisation need to be trained to adhere to this principle. What makes the news is not their personal opinions, but rather the facts about the topic under discussion.
In conclusion, it must be said that, without any grubby government monies and fighting against all odds over the years, The BFD is a national treasure, as are all those who contribute in various ways to making it so. Long may it last!
