Refreshingly honest comments by John Drinnan in Tuesday’s NZ Herald in his A – Z of a challenging year in the media:
“Acting Up – Talk about Fantasyland. Sir Peter Jackson depicted the Hobbit dispute as a passionate quest to defy the evil unions and keep the movie in New Zealand. It was of course, about money, power and keeping unions out. For producers and actors it was business – part of the old battle for power between capital and labour. But the media have a role in reporting that battle – and their one sided, naive and simplistic coverage of the dispute was shameful. With a few honourable exceptions – notably this paper – many in the media unquestioningly backed producers’ versions of events and whipped up hysteria in a manner reminiscent of the 1951 waterfront dispute. Not the media’s finest hour.”
I absolutely agree with the comments about the coverage being shameful. Many in the media facilitated the vilification of people who were trying to protect the interests of those working in the industry – Jennifer Ward- Lealand, Robyn Malcolm and Helen Kelly. There was the deliberate union bashing, which sadly many seem to accept without question, and the failure to indentify and highlight the inconsistencies and omissions in what the Government and Peter Jackson were saying (for example Peter Jackson said in 2009 that the Hobbit was likely to be lost to NZ because the financial incentives were insufficient).
I am glad that someone in the media is recognising these facts. I am glad too that the material released under the Official Information Act just before Xmas shows what information was available to John Key and other National MPs (and when it was available). It will be interesting to see what role they played in misleading the media and the response of the Speaker to Trevor Mallard’s questions about Gerry Brownlee misleading the House .
I hope the labour party keep pushing the whole hobbit saga through 2011… real NZ knows exactly what happened, and your attempted spin and rewriting of history will continue to backfire on you.
Keep it up.
Gerry Brownlee has been shown to be a liar, but the MSM lets him get away with it. It is up to you guys to remind NZ about his dishonesty as we can be sure most of the press will continue to give him an easy ride.
It will be interesting to see what role they played in misleading the media and the response of the Speaker to Trevor Mallard’s questions about Gerry Brownlee misleading the House .
Good, I was hoping that this issue would be raised.
I hope labour have a better plan for clawing back the 20% lead National has in the polls than criticising the most popular prime minister ever for his role in saving one of the biggest things ever for NZ.
What is shameful is that the labour party is determined to fight old battles it lost so heavily rather than come up with policies for our future.
Unfortunatly by the time Parliament finally gets back to working. everyone will conveintly forget it all, and blindly carry on as usual.
And unfortunatly thats how the next election will stolen by the Nacts, through sheer voter indefference.
Alfa, I think you just proved the point of the journalist and Clare.
So many, and I am somewhat surprised that this includes so many on the right, are star gazers. They simply assumed that Mr Jackson is honest cos they like his movies and that he is well know and successful. They assumed PJ was perfect, without flaws cos he is a successful movie maker. It’s similar to the way the PM drools whenever near the All Blacks.
Alfa either still believes or is refusing to face reality, that the movie was NEVER leaving NZ. THAT WAS A LIE.
I’ve said it before and I say it again. It is up to Labour to make sure the public doesn’t forget… since Trevor Mallard has a Breach of Privilege complaint lodged with the Speaker, then the MSM cannot ignore this sorry saga.
ITRC and Alpha (and the rest of the RWNJ gang) remind me of
the Flat Earthers of yesteryear. Despite the pre-Xmas published evidence that proves it was Jackson, Brownlee and co. telling the lies, they still live in total denial with their heads planted firmly in the sand.
I meant Carol
I’d love to see Labour push something like a workers’ bill of rights next time it is in government. Hell, go all in and entrench it.
the response of the Speaker to Trevor Mallard’s questions about Gerry Brownlee misleading the House .
While Trevor is at it, would it be worthwhile for him to ask the Speaker about Bill English misleading the house over PEDA?
Hmmm, my link doesn’t work.
Oh well, here is the ‘Granny herald’ article’s address.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10698055
“I hope labour have a better plan for clawing back the 20% lead National has in the polls than criticising the most popular prime minister ever for his role in saving one of the biggest things ever for NZ.”
@alfa saving one of the biggest things ever for Nz?,
have you ever read the hobbit?, its a kids story unlike lord of the rings, it will be great for Die hard tolkein fans like myself, but you may be sorrily (is that a word?) disapointed. It will be a big movie, but you may find it has the same appeal as the narnia movies.
Power to you Carol – Jackson hoodwinked the NZ public and the MSM.
Please dear god let this one lie. Labour did a fantastic job getting LOTR here and the Nats are coatailing your success, wouldnt we be better off reminding NZ that we got the movies here in the first place and be associated with success rather than Green party destruction of jobs(Robyn malcolm).
“dear god” will not be granting you your wish David. Read the evidence that was released just before Xmas. Robyn Malcolm, Helen Kelly and co. were NOT the ones telling the lies.
As for your claim we should forget the lying and hood-winking and be thankful we got LOTR here in the first place… totally irrelevant to Carol’s post. Btw, have you read the post? All of it?
Strange – this is a non-issue now really.
I agree with the position that Brownlee was, at best, misleading, at worst, telling lies. I agree Jackson and co were operating in the interests of generating income. I disagree with any inference anyone wishes to draw that this makes a hero of the CTU and its role, CTU screwed it up too with a rampant over-reaction to an issue in an industry it doesn’t understand.
I’ve been in and out of that industry since I was 8 (this is a long time now) and it wasn’t strictly and actors issue. I went to the meetings presented on both sides and I think, Actors might be just a touch worse off than before Key and his little dog Brownlee saved the day, but the way it was opposed smoothed the way for that to happen.
This was poor politics. Clark/Cullen/Mallard would have had the lot of them in a room for 20 hours straight, hammered out a deal and announced a slight increase in the subsidy a few days after the story broke. This was a sign of Key’s lack of political expertise personally, by his cabinet and his advisors.
Ultimately, this is claimed as a Key victory and New Zealand keeping something it could have lost… both of which are untrue. But, to be honest Carol, there are lessons for the CTU here as well.
Be all that as it may, Labour stood against the legislation, well done.
I suggest most of the blame fell on Actors Equity. The CTU did a pretty professional job of playing with a bad hand, until of course Jackson stabbed Helen Kelly in the back with a four inch stilleto.
But agree with your general point – the unions got a reminder of what they are up against in this country and how slip ups can be costly.
Regardless of who did what 80% of the population supports the outcome and blames the union. Re-hashing it again is likely to cost votes for Charles and Grant amongst left leaning creative types. Being seen as an branch of the Epmu is not going to win any votes, it was Labour who created the success of the movie industry in the first place.
Gipper, I suspect National would consider the politics was an absolute success. PM got to rub shoulders with hollywood types and give them a big tax break, he got to seem like a hero saving a movie never under threat, he got to change employment laws again and he got to bash the unions with 80% support from polled NZers.
David, do you honestly believe that the hoodwinking around the hobbit, including blantant lies from a Minister wont be the continued MO? Most of that 80% polled believed a lying minister. Once the truth is truly outted many of that 80% will be PI&*&*$ off at their Govt treating them like idiots.
I don’t know if they do Tracey, they got to ride the white horse and Key got to hold the flag again yes, but at the cost of billions in income that would surely have weighed heavily. There were wins and losses all around, this wasn’t a process well played politically for national, it was a scramble to save the day, they did, just.
Ultimately, the media played this up so much and bought into the misdirection so well, thet New Zealanders will generally accept that there is one story here… the movie was saved by Key against the best efforts of the evil unions.
CV – I think that’s probably a more subtle point but you’re right. I was actually annoyed at how the CTU played it and at how surprised the CTU was when public support was not there because it was the same tired class-based messaging. Doesn’t resonate and someone hadn’t done their homework.
I guess it highlights the difficulty of getting a message across (including for Helen Kelly) when the message carriers just dont want to carry your message.
The media, presumably playing to their own journalistic prejudices didnt want to believe that Mr Jackson wasnt a saint and that a union leader might be telling the truth. With that in mind most outlets closed their minds to anything other than press releases emanating from Mr Jackson and the Govt.
I would rather see an honest representation through the media leaving who is elected to opinion of voters based on reality not in manipulation or omission
Goodness, even many who now KNOW that a Minister lied about the movie ever being in danger of going offshore say that they saved the movie from going offshore.
I think your point there nails it Tracey.
The media did a brilliant job of demonising Helen and Robyn – they should be ashamed for the way they tried to ruin them, but I doubt they will ever make it right. It goes to show just how important accurate reporting is – the reporting in this issue was so onesided and the public so well manipulated it could not have been spun for key better. His teflon suit would make nasa envious.
I disagree that Lab should drop it – it was a blatant torrie manipulation and the public should know they were played – again.
What is good is that the slow tide of accurate reporting is slowly turning – like the fly wheel, I have faith that there will eventually be a momentum and the media will face up to their responsibilities to report properly. Despite personal political leanings – if they want to write opinionated and biased dribble, get out of reporting and write a blog or opinion piece. And for the record, I don’t care which party is doing the wrong – I want a reporter to see the facts and report them as such.
People need to get over their annoyance with the CTU and focus on the enormity of the law changes the Government got away with. I know there’s public opinion and perception and all that stuff, but the truth is that every single worker who works in the film and video production industries is now denied freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining – fundamental human and labour rights, which NZ has signed up to. I’m not talking actors here, but crew, technicians, catering workers, cleaners, admin workers etc. The question is, who’s next? If it’s that easy, why wouldn’t the government decide that a whole lot of other workers shouldn’t be allowed to be employees either? And in defence of the CTU, they had no choice but to support their affiliate – Actors Equity.
Speaking of PEDA there are a couple of interesting names associated with that as well.
http://pacificeyewitness.com/2010/06/21/peda-ltd-proposal-names-principal-partner-next-months-trip/
Point taken Darien, but why then focus on how “we are now proved right” with the emails and the information that has now come to light? As you point out, you are wanting to highlight that the result of this process has been a deterioration in workers’ rights.
Tactically, focussing on the Hobbit is not going to bring about an understanding of that issue nor will it win any support to be proved right. Your question is, who is next? That’s what we should be interested in.
For the record, I support Unions, but if the Hobbit thing keeps coming up, so will the way that the CTU handled it because no matter how much information is put out there, the public think that the CTU tried to take away their movie… right or wrong, that’s the view the public formed. It’s not a battle worth trying to be righteous about.
Interesting negotiation by some unions to “”contract out” of the 90 day trial. For the record I have less problem with the trial period than the no reason given, no recourse to examining the decison.
“NEW YORK – Time Warner, the owner of Warner Bros, HBO, CNN and Time magazine, has reported a 22 per cent increase in its fourth-quarter profit and raised its forecast for this year, citing optimism about its TV business.”
I wonder, did the PM get a nice thank you call?
For those who want to try and make sense of the whole Hobbit debacle
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1104/S00081/helen-kelly-the-hobbit-dispute.htm
Funny hhow once some facts start to surface certain posters still think the emperor has gold lined clothes