Did you see Winston's long rant about Jonathan Ayling's piece in the Herald? He is so sensitive ; after all, Jonathan is usually on his side of the club. But oh, do not criticise the mighty ones. Or even ask questions. I see Winston is off to visit Marco Rubio today. Bizarre and insensitive timing, when everyone at home is trying to figure out how to pay for fuel. He may well be dragged to his knees to recognise the war he has never commented on is all part of the rapture.
Winston's long rant was appalling! His insults were over the top...even calling Jonathan Ayling (who I'm not a particular fan of) an incel holed up in his mother's basement.
I hope you have had a great Easter with lots of chocolate.
Our mainstream media are an absolute disgrace. I was certain it was their jobs to hold the current government to account, not constantly rubbishing the Opposition at every turn.
I have to admit I haven't always liked Benedict Collins, particularly with the way he treated Kiri Allan, but since then, his reporting has been good.
As for Maiki, it seems she has taken lessons from Jessica Mutch-McKay.
Our media minus a select few, are seriously failing the voters of Aotearoa.
I agree Josephine, the media seem a bit paralysed and de-powered…like a vehicle with a blockage in the fuel line. Oh yeah, that’s where we are all at - in dire straits (sorry about that pathetic offering!).
I’ve never worked in media. I read widely. I appreciate many journalists and investigative reporters. One example immediately coming to mind is Bryan Bruce who v recently returned to NZ after a trip to Ukraine to film a documentary.
If a government (even that purporting to be the Trump administration) wants leverage or simply wishes to (as Erica Benner suggests) ‘turn democracy into despotism without people noticing’…they go for the media asap.
Hi again Josephine. Nick’s article here strikes a strong note with me…music is v important in my life. This note while ringing true, also has me recollect a very recent experience I’ve had with some of the nonsense pretending to be the wonderful, free speech expressed on social media, influencers and keyboard warriors purportedly trying to save us from ourselves!
Ani O’Brien’s Thought Crimes’ Substack is an interesting collection of posts and articles peppered liberally with ‘offerings’ from her deeply devoted tribe of worshippers / supporters / readers.
On her ‘Thought Crimes’ Substack, Ani’s profile mentions she likes ‘good faith disagreements’. I offered her and her readers some of this…was polite and respectful…and yet…she decided to block me!!!
Ani chose to block me (within one day) after she blocked another reader and strong contributor (named Mihaela) on her ‘Thought Crimes’ Substack for what I viewed as questionable grounds. I had liked and replied to several of Mihaela’s notes on this ‘Thought Crimes’ thread. This coincidence should be noted!
Apparently I am not welcome on Ani O’Brien’s ‘Thought Crimes’. Have I committed a thought crime?!?!?!? I personally don’t think so ha ha! Ani wrote that she thought I was a ‘bully’ and that my comments were ‘sniping’, and the she was tired of ‘receiving notifications of further posts from me’! And yet, Ani is a strong advocate for free speech!
And while I can stay light-hearted and open, confident in my ability to be resilient in the face of people attacking me or attempting to put me down or disregard me…
…I also bring us back to a key element in our world every second, minute, hour and day of our existence - the element of media in our lives. What the media is, what its purpose is,how people use it and misuse it…all shape and influence our lives so much in the 21st century.
Im continually disturbed how the internet (a technology and means of communicating that is all-powerful) allows hate, misinformation, disinformation, malinformation to spread so quickly and reach so deeply into society. Attempts to moderate content useful while they are, seem to largely fail to keep up with the proliferation of these destructive, harmful forces.
Erica Benner in her fantastic book ‘Adventures in Democracy - The Turbulent World of People Power’ (2025) writes (of ‘How to turn democracy into despotism without people noticing’):
“Go for the media asap. This is tricky, since you want to avoid the appearance of manipulating the people (after all, you’re their champion). If you or your friends have enough money to purchase newspapers or broadcasting networks, that’s a great start. Mobilize armies of bloggers, social media trolls and influencers to push your vision and attack your enemies.” (pages 182-183.)
I sense that this is happening increasingly in Aotearoa, and it saddens and upsets me. I hope you can forgive this long story-telling from me on Easter Monday Josephine.
Engaging with you (and Nick and his readers) today, has convinced me to write up my own post under my name rather than to ‘hitch a ride’ like I have done here, on Nick’s Kōrero. I must apologise to Nick for taking up so much space with my own stuff. It is relevant to the views that Nick expresses so clearly here. But I struggle to keep my notes brief and succinct and I certainly do not wish to dilute his excellent messages to us.
Nick is right: The Balance stick is used to keep the public media in a state of paralysis, while commercial platforms broadcast the Drivel of those with the deepest pockets. It’s a foreign-style interference that limits the Signal to official announcements and sanitized narratives.
But there is a variable they haven't accounted for: The New Zealander.
Some of us are waking up. We aren't backed into a corner; we are simply stepping out of the room they built for us. When a New Zealander sees a system that is broken, we don’t scream blue murder at the TV or wait for a government subsidy to fix it.
We go to the workshop. We pick up the 10mm. We audit the ledger. And we fix it.
We are moving past Balance and toward Ground Truth. If the publicly funded media won't report the 19.8-day fuel floor, we will. If the commercial platforms want to sell you a mirage of security, we will show you the empty tank.
We are not victims of this place they built We are the owners of the Substance. There is one thing they can never take away from us.
Nick, engaging with you and your readers today, has convinced me to write up my own post under my name rather than to ‘hitch a ride’ like I feel I have done here, on your wonderful ‘Nick’s Kōrero’ Substack.
I must apologise to you for taking up so much space with my own stuff…instead of first thinking it through (like I’m doing now). My ‘stuff’ is relevant to the views that you’ve expressed so clearly and so well here. But I struggle to keep my notes brief and succinct; I often offer streams of consciousness and tangents and pathways away from the main ideas!
Knowing myself, I certainly do not wish to dilute your excellent messages to us Nick. And I ask for your forgiveness at the same time as apologising unreservedly for what others might see as rudeness and disrespect on my part.
I aim to contribute to the world as long as I’m still breathing and my heart beats…but I’d like to be more mindful of the potential for my words (especially my verbosity) to have less than positive impacts! When I’m not alive, I’d sooner people remember the man who remembered to be brief and who listened and cared and acted on his values. Not so much the man who wrote whole books when a short limerick would suffice!
Am I the only one (and I'm not a journalist) who wants to know why the Government chose the date "Thursday 26 February" to announce that there were 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime in the year to October 2025?
???
And they expect the media to report and provide meaningful comment on the figures on the very day that they are released?
I expect some days of research was behind Benedict's police numbers/gang numbers story.
Did someone give someone a heads up about Benedict's upcoming story?
Thank you Nick - great article. Furthermore it seems strange that while drug use is reported in MSM to be at record levels, as evidenced by wastewater testing, this government which promotes itself as strong on law and order and tough on crime is not being held to account. Clearly the drug lords are laughing their heads off while this COC go around patting themselves on the back at what a great job they are doing.
Come November, we need a purge...public servants and other publically funded people who are obviously biased to the right, or who espouse neoliberal economics (I'm looking at you, Treasury) need to find alternative occupations.
‘Grunter Goldsmith’s’ not happy ? Well boo hoo hoo, call the ‘wambulance.’ And what about Mark Mitchell’s reply to the world about the NZ Police .His first draft was a classic: ‘ from the office of The Minister of Fire Trucks and New Police Cars ‘ Mark Mitchell, BSC, Dip Hort,FTC, IUD PMT,ASAP. Dear NZ Public .Imagine my shock and disdain to learn that certain departments within the confines of government ranks have out and out lied about gang members and the police. I have it from a One News anonymous source ( M Sherman )that the excellent, well paid, honest, porn free police have been lied to about scum of the earth, drug taking gang members . Unfounded reports had gang members ahead of our boys in blue by a lot. UNTRUE . In fact, gangs who refuse to wear patches ? 6 . NZ Police, 12,006 AND COUNTING . It won’t be long until gang patches and gangs themselves will all be a thing of the past by August ,and then we can bring back public hangings. Mark Mitchell, PM…MP, for now .
You have the gift Willy of being always able to make me smile!
A delicious story that I happily digest, savouring your every word. A brunch treat for me - a NZ citizen living and working in Australia. I thank you for this and need to shout you a coffee or stronger beverage.
I sense that Mark Mitchell has leadership ambitions and so I believe he’d be naturally compelled to attempt (however feebly) to correct the record’, ‘refocus our attention’, and ‘shine a light on what really really really matters’.
Mitchell, leadership, heaven forbid - can barely string two words together! Mind you, look at the other options, including the current one, all fill me with horror.
Thanks so much Brian, it means a lot to me. I was in hospital for nigh on 10 weeks then transferred to ABI ( acute brain injury unit ) last week after a horrendous fall . I had a broken clavicle, vertebrae ligament damage, a broken foot, fractures on my arm,spinal damage and even more brain damage…but apart from those minor things,it’s been a hoot, a right old giggle! I turned down an interview and was in the throes of starting another
book until fate farted all over me. Fate? circumstance ,or chance, one of the three. Your words of encouragement mean the world to me, I can’t thank you enough Brian. Willy.
OMG Willy, what stuff life throws at us! You have been navigating your way through this horrendous stuff with courage and an amazing amount of lightness.
Your words always lighten any load I might feel I’m carrying…worries about the world…the depth of sadness that tugs at my gut when I see or hear others suffering…just being awake and aware of happenings day to day…
Thank you for valuing any encouragement I can offer…it is the very least I can do my friend.
The Australian writer / poet / cartoonist / wonderful creator of whimsy Michael Leunig had this to say about courage, in his poem “Love and Fear”:
“There are only two feelings:
Love and fear.
There are only two languages:
Love and fear.
There are only two activities:
Love and fear.
There are only two motives; two procedures; two frameworks; two results:
I am disgusted by so many people calling themselves journalists and broadcasters - can't they see that by following the American-model, we will turn NZ into shit too? Why can't the Broadcasting Standards Authority step in and do something proactively? I am still waiting for the 20 days that Newstalk ZB takes to consider my complaint before I can take it to the BSA - that is just a way for the News cycle to have moved on before anything people like Mike Hosking says has to be corrected
First, I would put every journalist and broadcaster on notice if they reported about the March Cabinet Paper while NOT mentioning that it was months after the December 2021 decision date - they all knew - but omitting that very salient fact is just disgraceful - they should all be publicly named by the BSA as untrustworthy - and if they continue deliberately omitting critical facts, then they should be banned from broadcasting or reporting
I haven't watched 1 News for a long time as I cannot stand the reporting of Sherman. I feel she is very lopsided in her reporting so now just watch 3 and read RNZ......as well as Nick and G of course. None of this surprises me in the least.
It looks like this is going to hit 100 likes pretty quickly, so I'm going to open it up. Thank you for subscribing and enabling me to do this.
Thank you - the voting public need to see this and decide for themselves if this CoC is corrupt.
If Maiki was willing to go blonde she might get a job in the current White House?
Ouch, nice!
Did you see Winston's long rant about Jonathan Ayling's piece in the Herald? He is so sensitive ; after all, Jonathan is usually on his side of the club. But oh, do not criticise the mighty ones. Or even ask questions. I see Winston is off to visit Marco Rubio today. Bizarre and insensitive timing, when everyone at home is trying to figure out how to pay for fuel. He may well be dragged to his knees to recognise the war he has never commented on is all part of the rapture.
Winston's long rant was appalling! His insults were over the top...even calling Jonathan Ayling (who I'm not a particular fan of) an incel holed up in his mother's basement.
Morena Nick.
I hope you have had a great Easter with lots of chocolate.
Our mainstream media are an absolute disgrace. I was certain it was their jobs to hold the current government to account, not constantly rubbishing the Opposition at every turn.
I have to admit I haven't always liked Benedict Collins, particularly with the way he treated Kiri Allan, but since then, his reporting has been good.
As for Maiki, it seems she has taken lessons from Jessica Mutch-McKay.
Our media minus a select few, are seriously failing the voters of Aotearoa.
I agree Josephine, the media seem a bit paralysed and de-powered…like a vehicle with a blockage in the fuel line. Oh yeah, that’s where we are all at - in dire straits (sorry about that pathetic offering!).
I’ve never worked in media. I read widely. I appreciate many journalists and investigative reporters. One example immediately coming to mind is Bryan Bruce who v recently returned to NZ after a trip to Ukraine to film a documentary.
If a government (even that purporting to be the Trump administration) wants leverage or simply wishes to (as Erica Benner suggests) ‘turn democracy into despotism without people noticing’…they go for the media asap.
Hi again Josephine. Nick’s article here strikes a strong note with me…music is v important in my life. This note while ringing true, also has me recollect a very recent experience I’ve had with some of the nonsense pretending to be the wonderful, free speech expressed on social media, influencers and keyboard warriors purportedly trying to save us from ourselves!
Ani O’Brien’s Thought Crimes’ Substack is an interesting collection of posts and articles peppered liberally with ‘offerings’ from her deeply devoted tribe of worshippers / supporters / readers.
On her ‘Thought Crimes’ Substack, Ani’s profile mentions she likes ‘good faith disagreements’. I offered her and her readers some of this…was polite and respectful…and yet…she decided to block me!!!
Ani chose to block me (within one day) after she blocked another reader and strong contributor (named Mihaela) on her ‘Thought Crimes’ Substack for what I viewed as questionable grounds. I had liked and replied to several of Mihaela’s notes on this ‘Thought Crimes’ thread. This coincidence should be noted!
Apparently I am not welcome on Ani O’Brien’s ‘Thought Crimes’. Have I committed a thought crime?!?!?!? I personally don’t think so ha ha! Ani wrote that she thought I was a ‘bully’ and that my comments were ‘sniping’, and the she was tired of ‘receiving notifications of further posts from me’! And yet, Ani is a strong advocate for free speech!
And while I can stay light-hearted and open, confident in my ability to be resilient in the face of people attacking me or attempting to put me down or disregard me…
…I also bring us back to a key element in our world every second, minute, hour and day of our existence - the element of media in our lives. What the media is, what its purpose is,how people use it and misuse it…all shape and influence our lives so much in the 21st century.
Im continually disturbed how the internet (a technology and means of communicating that is all-powerful) allows hate, misinformation, disinformation, malinformation to spread so quickly and reach so deeply into society. Attempts to moderate content useful while they are, seem to largely fail to keep up with the proliferation of these destructive, harmful forces.
Erica Benner in her fantastic book ‘Adventures in Democracy - The Turbulent World of People Power’ (2025) writes (of ‘How to turn democracy into despotism without people noticing’):
“Go for the media asap. This is tricky, since you want to avoid the appearance of manipulating the people (after all, you’re their champion). If you or your friends have enough money to purchase newspapers or broadcasting networks, that’s a great start. Mobilize armies of bloggers, social media trolls and influencers to push your vision and attack your enemies.” (pages 182-183.)
I sense that this is happening increasingly in Aotearoa, and it saddens and upsets me. I hope you can forgive this long story-telling from me on Easter Monday Josephine.
Engaging with you (and Nick and his readers) today, has convinced me to write up my own post under my name rather than to ‘hitch a ride’ like I have done here, on Nick’s Kōrero. I must apologise to Nick for taking up so much space with my own stuff. It is relevant to the views that Nick expresses so clearly here. But I struggle to keep my notes brief and succinct and I certainly do not wish to dilute his excellent messages to us.
Wishing you a lovely day 🌞
Nick is right: The Balance stick is used to keep the public media in a state of paralysis, while commercial platforms broadcast the Drivel of those with the deepest pockets. It’s a foreign-style interference that limits the Signal to official announcements and sanitized narratives.
But there is a variable they haven't accounted for: The New Zealander.
Some of us are waking up. We aren't backed into a corner; we are simply stepping out of the room they built for us. When a New Zealander sees a system that is broken, we don’t scream blue murder at the TV or wait for a government subsidy to fix it.
We go to the workshop. We pick up the 10mm. We audit the ledger. And we fix it.
We are moving past Balance and toward Ground Truth. If the publicly funded media won't report the 19.8-day fuel floor, we will. If the commercial platforms want to sell you a mirage of security, we will show you the empty tank.
We are not victims of this place they built We are the owners of the Substance. There is one thing they can never take away from us.
well said, Nick. Thank goodness for your work.
Thanks Mum ❤️
Nick, engaging with you and your readers today, has convinced me to write up my own post under my name rather than to ‘hitch a ride’ like I feel I have done here, on your wonderful ‘Nick’s Kōrero’ Substack.
I must apologise to you for taking up so much space with my own stuff…instead of first thinking it through (like I’m doing now). My ‘stuff’ is relevant to the views that you’ve expressed so clearly and so well here. But I struggle to keep my notes brief and succinct; I often offer streams of consciousness and tangents and pathways away from the main ideas!
Knowing myself, I certainly do not wish to dilute your excellent messages to us Nick. And I ask for your forgiveness at the same time as apologising unreservedly for what others might see as rudeness and disrespect on my part.
I aim to contribute to the world as long as I’m still breathing and my heart beats…but I’d like to be more mindful of the potential for my words (especially my verbosity) to have less than positive impacts! When I’m not alive, I’d sooner people remember the man who remembered to be brief and who listened and cared and acted on his values. Not so much the man who wrote whole books when a short limerick would suffice!
Wishing you well, Brian
teehee
Jean, your son is a living treasure! Thank you for bringing him into this world 🙏
Yes indeed!
I read Bomber Bradburys story on this yesterday, confirmed all my thoughts on this presenter. She has to be taken off air now.
Am I the only one (and I'm not a journalist) who wants to know why the Government chose the date "Thursday 26 February" to announce that there were 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime in the year to October 2025?
???
And they expect the media to report and provide meaningful comment on the figures on the very day that they are released?
I expect some days of research was behind Benedict's police numbers/gang numbers story.
Did someone give someone a heads up about Benedict's upcoming story?
Thank you Nick - great article. Furthermore it seems strange that while drug use is reported in MSM to be at record levels, as evidenced by wastewater testing, this government which promotes itself as strong on law and order and tough on crime is not being held to account. Clearly the drug lords are laughing their heads off while this COC go around patting themselves on the back at what a great job they are doing.
Come November, we need a purge...public servants and other publically funded people who are obviously biased to the right, or who espouse neoliberal economics (I'm looking at you, Treasury) need to find alternative occupations.
‘Grunter Goldsmith’s’ not happy ? Well boo hoo hoo, call the ‘wambulance.’ And what about Mark Mitchell’s reply to the world about the NZ Police .His first draft was a classic: ‘ from the office of The Minister of Fire Trucks and New Police Cars ‘ Mark Mitchell, BSC, Dip Hort,FTC, IUD PMT,ASAP. Dear NZ Public .Imagine my shock and disdain to learn that certain departments within the confines of government ranks have out and out lied about gang members and the police. I have it from a One News anonymous source ( M Sherman )that the excellent, well paid, honest, porn free police have been lied to about scum of the earth, drug taking gang members . Unfounded reports had gang members ahead of our boys in blue by a lot. UNTRUE . In fact, gangs who refuse to wear patches ? 6 . NZ Police, 12,006 AND COUNTING . It won’t be long until gang patches and gangs themselves will all be a thing of the past by August ,and then we can bring back public hangings. Mark Mitchell, PM…MP, for now .
You have the gift Willy of being always able to make me smile!
A delicious story that I happily digest, savouring your every word. A brunch treat for me - a NZ citizen living and working in Australia. I thank you for this and need to shout you a coffee or stronger beverage.
I sense that Mark Mitchell has leadership ambitions and so I believe he’d be naturally compelled to attempt (however feebly) to correct the record’, ‘refocus our attention’, and ‘shine a light on what really really really matters’.
Mitchell, leadership, heaven forbid - can barely string two words together! Mind you, look at the other options, including the current one, all fill me with horror.
Yes Chrissie, but as we know (sadly), the current ex-CEO pretending to be PM has his own serious (and continuing) struggles with communicating!!!
I may be a tad naive to ask this question, but is our NZ Parliament a breeding ground for such mediocrity?
Or do political parties truly believe they have their finger on the pulse whenever they promote someone into becoming an MP?!?!?
Thanks so much Brian, it means a lot to me. I was in hospital for nigh on 10 weeks then transferred to ABI ( acute brain injury unit ) last week after a horrendous fall . I had a broken clavicle, vertebrae ligament damage, a broken foot, fractures on my arm,spinal damage and even more brain damage…but apart from those minor things,it’s been a hoot, a right old giggle! I turned down an interview and was in the throes of starting another
book until fate farted all over me. Fate? circumstance ,or chance, one of the three. Your words of encouragement mean the world to me, I can’t thank you enough Brian. Willy.
OMG Willy, what stuff life throws at us! You have been navigating your way through this horrendous stuff with courage and an amazing amount of lightness.
Your words always lighten any load I might feel I’m carrying…worries about the world…the depth of sadness that tugs at my gut when I see or hear others suffering…just being awake and aware of happenings day to day…
Thank you for valuing any encouragement I can offer…it is the very least I can do my friend.
The Australian writer / poet / cartoonist / wonderful creator of whimsy Michael Leunig had this to say about courage, in his poem “Love and Fear”:
“There are only two feelings:
Love and fear.
There are only two languages:
Love and fear.
There are only two activities:
Love and fear.
There are only two motives; two procedures; two frameworks; two results:
Love and fear.
Love and fear.
Spot on Nick. Maiki lost any credibility as a journalist a long time ago.
Well said
I am disgusted by so many people calling themselves journalists and broadcasters - can't they see that by following the American-model, we will turn NZ into shit too? Why can't the Broadcasting Standards Authority step in and do something proactively? I am still waiting for the 20 days that Newstalk ZB takes to consider my complaint before I can take it to the BSA - that is just a way for the News cycle to have moved on before anything people like Mike Hosking says has to be corrected
First, I would put every journalist and broadcaster on notice if they reported about the March Cabinet Paper while NOT mentioning that it was months after the December 2021 decision date - they all knew - but omitting that very salient fact is just disgraceful - they should all be publicly named by the BSA as untrustworthy - and if they continue deliberately omitting critical facts, then they should be banned from broadcasting or reporting
I haven't watched 1 News for a long time as I cannot stand the reporting of Sherman. I feel she is very lopsided in her reporting so now just watch 3 and read RNZ......as well as Nick and G of course. None of this surprises me in the least.
Agree with all you say Nick and is the very reason we all look forward to your posts and the research that forms the basis of your opinions.