MEDIA: The Nation Review – Mark Jennings Tears Are Delicious

Tracey Martin defends lack of cost-benefit analysis for TVNZ/RNZ merger

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Tracey Martin, who is leading TVNZ/RNZ media reforms, has defended the government for not doing a cost-benefit analysis on the mega merger.

Nothing sums up the vested interests of the private media attacking new RNZ/TVNZ meters better than this joke about The Nation.

Hilariously, Mark’s position ends up justifying the pus wound that is Fuck Boy Island.

Kudos to Dita De Boni for pointing out Mark’s outrageous self-interest!

The chorus of cries that erupted among private media having their hollow NZ on Air stolen is so hilarious.

They disguise this self-interest as the importance of “media pluralism,” like being stuck at a dinner party between the Spin-off and Stuff arguing over who hates heteronormative cis white men the most, that kind of “pluralism.”

They are so addicted to NZ on Air money that they have complied with their editorial policies to gain access to funding.

Now look, I absolutely believe there has to be government funding for public broadcasting, it’s a Fourth Estate requirement for a functioning democracy, but that funding should actually go to fucking journalism, not to ” diverse voices in the media”, what funding is funding!

It’s wonderful that we have so many state-funded angry feminist podcasts, but is that really journalism?

We cannot deprive mainstream media of funding that will generate journalism free from corporate constraints.

Most current affairs shows are advertised and sponsored by companies that are part of the problem. We need state-funded journalism that can challenge these corporations and their power over political decisions.

We need journalism free from monetary influence.

This is what NZ on Air should fund.

Instead, it’s all middle-class identity politics that has stirred bullshit that never talks about capitalism, class or economic justice in favor of middle-class social justice vegan cheer clubs.

The extraordinarily rude Fuck Boy Island commissioned by TVNZ shows why the RNZ/TVNZ merger needs to happen, because TVNZ thinks Fuck Boy Island is a public broadcast!

RNZ would never have allowed Fuck Boy Island to happen.

Can you imagine Kim Hill judging Fuck Boy Island?

How about Ethical Slut Island?

Public broadcasting does not elevate or build the people or audiences involved, it demeans. I’m no prude, if a private company wanted Fuck Boy Island, knock yourself out, go for it, but on the Public Broadcaster?

We have seen on the lawns of Parliament what confused and frightened citizens led by the hateful disinformation algorithms of social media can cause, we need a powerful public broadcasting asset to combat this madness or our democracy will be lost.

This is why we need fusion.

That’s why the merger needs $80 million from NZ on Air.

This means that NZ on Air is less powerful.

This means that private media outlets that have traded editorial independence and real journalism for woke signs of virtue are financially hurt.

This means that financial interests in New Zealand could in fact be challenged for the first time.

There’s a lot of interest in killing fusion.

What the government needs to do is sort out alternative funding structures for NZ on Air.

The $55 million fund for public interest journalism is running out soon and with NZ on Air funding cut, the government needs to find new ways to generate revenue for NZ on Air to distribute to the JOURNALISM.

The answer is something the government is already pursuing, the journalism tax on Google and Facebook would bring in $40 million a year.

This money could be segregated and sent directly to NZ on Air as a market solution to fund the journalism that Google and Facebook are undermining!

Additionally, TV One could become ad-free to allow private media to benefit from the redistribution of advertising.

The government needs to show the private media how NZ on Air will get extra money to do the JOURNALISM they are forced to provide or continue to attack the merger relentlessly.

Look how the real estate market saturates the media with advertising, then turns on those media when they denigrate real estate?

Watch how agricultural interests saturate Talkback radio with ads to further their political world view.

Watch how free market capitalism is NEVER challenged in any media.

When you suddenly see this, you understand why National and ACT are already promising to destroy the merger if elected.

The last thing they want is real journalism.

It is THESE interests that need to be challenged by Fourth Estate Journalism, not more angry feminist podcasts on the Spin Off.

Don’t forget that the RNZ-TVNZ merger would represent the first time in 6 goddamn years that Labor has achieved anything from their manifesto, so the political capital at stake here is enormous!

BESIDES – The daily blog and The working group DO NOT take NZ on Air money so throw us some love below dammit!

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