Saturday, November 19, 2011

Not a Fair Go

Go and make yourself a cup of tea, then listen to this; it's a chat this morning between Paul Holmes and long-time Fair Go presenter Kevin Milne:




Kevin Milne's comments towards the media are damning; he said that the secret recording was a "gross breach of privacy" and that it makes him "embarrassed to have once been in the same line of work" . He also expressed surprise that discussion about the contents of the conversation had taken precedence over how it was obtained, expressing a view based on his years in television that the cameraman must have known that sound was being recorded.

Milne joins the chorus of media condemning the role of their brethren media. He believes that the media people involved have completely misread the mood of the public and its desire to know details of a private conversation, and we wholeheartedly agree.

We now await the publication of tomorrow's Herald on Sunday; it was after all the HoS that broke this "story" in the first place. It will be interesting to see whether they release a transcript of the tape, or whether Bryce Johns and his team pause, reflect and concede that their initial enthusiasm to nail John Key and John Banks was misplaced.

John Key has stared the media down. Who will blink first?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

What did Key say that made him behave this way?

jabba said...

looks like Goff, and even Peters, have already blinked

Whafe said...

I am astounded that so many Pinko's / Watermelons are pushing that it should be released, are they not the clans whom are all for privacy etc etc ????

And for the reporter to say he didn't know it was recording etc. Dude, wake up, you are an embarrassment to the media....

Moist von Lipwig said...

He believes that the media people involved have completely *read* the mood of the public

misread?

Anonymous said...

What did key say that has these old duffers gossiping to boost their ratings?

Inventory2 said...

@ MVL - well spotted; duly corrected thanks!

@ Anon; face facts man; the media beat this up, Key stood his ground, and the public has sided with the PM. Duncan Garner, Barry Soper and the HoS over-egged the pudding; now they are the ones with egg on their faces, whilst Labour is getting punished by the punters. Three more years boys; three more years.

Anonymous said...

Inv2. You,ve just exhibited the quality of your character. All the best.

luvlyboys said...

You too anon!

Judge Holden said...

"...are they not the clans whom are all for privacy etc etc ????"

Why are people running the retarded argument that a conversation between two politicians in a public place to which they had invited the media in an attempt to manipulate voters is in anyway private? Is the quality of our education system really than poor?

Anonymous said...

Yes judge, the blind right are also dumb.

Inventory2 said...

@ Judge Holden & Anon; the fact the the police are conducting a serious investigation, including the execution of search warrants on media premises suggest that they believe that a criminal offence may well have been committed.

But if you're still not convinced, I suggest you read this legal opinion that was sent to me earlier in the week:

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2011/11/has-duncan-garner-broken-law.html

Judge Holden said...

"the fact the the police are conducting a serious investigation, including the execution of search warrants on media premises suggest that they believe that a criminal offence may well have been committed."

You really think that? I think it's disturbing that the police reacted in such a heavy handed manner to Key's hysterics. I thought there was supposedly one law for all, but it appears if you're the PM the police jump to it when you put in a frivolous complaint.

macdoctor said...

@judge Holden:
They cleared the room of media before speaking. That would imply that the conversation was considered private. I would be very surprised if a (real) Judge would find otherwise.

As to the nature of the recording, to accept it as accidental means you have to believe that a professional cameraman either forgot to switch off his radio mike when packing it away or was recording with it in a bag, then left the expensive mike behind and, finally, did not know what MIC ON means when it is prominently displayed in the camera's LCD. Personally, I find that as plausible as Winston Peter's protestations that he won't go with either party if he gets back in.

Even if you believe the implausible scenario that Mr. Ambrose was incompetent enough to make the recording accidentally and naive enough to believe it was a public conversation despite all evidence to the contrary, you still have to question the ethics of passing a recording on to two potential buyers

And don't get me started on the ethics of the HoS and Tv3. Their behavior in this affair can only be described as vile.

Judge Holden said...

"They cleared the room of media before speaking."

They told the media, who were invited to witness this august event they could go and watch them through the glass. What makes yo think any politician has a right to "privacy" in such circumstances? Why do you accept that politicians can attempt to be so manipulative and come out of this with any credit?

I very much doubt any law has been broken, but it will take an awful lot of taxpayers' money before this is confirmed. I thought Key and you guys cared about wasteful expenditure? And what is on that tape that's got Key so petrified do you think?

abobeachway said...

Why not convene a "Waihopai" jury to decide. They could take a vote as soon as they are convened and save thousands of dollars on pointless lawyer posturing.